Time Stained
by Viridian Jester
Summary: She was just an average exorcist tying to live an inconspicuous, but entertaining, life. When she's sent to Japan to hunt down a traitor though, everything changes. Demon Kings, sons of Satan, the Illuminati… at the end of the day, she can only hope it's for the better (mix of anime and manga).
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Dealing with Demons**

Smiling softly to myself, I casually walked up to the unassuming brick office building where I worked. I stopped before opening up the door, mentally reassuring myself that everything would be fine. Taking in a deep breath, I wiped a few strands of my golden blonde hair that fell from its bun out of my face before opening the door. The doorbell chimed loudly as I entered, and the secretary, a kind, older woman with graying hair, looked over at me in surprise.

"Oh, Miss Kado - are you sure you're ready to get back to work? It's been quite a while since you've been to the regional office, but you're injuries were rather severe…" she said, concern and a trace of fear evident on her face.

"It'll be fine," I replied with a wry grin. "I've been working with local exorcists for the past month on smaller cases. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I even have my mission reports with me, and I've already been approved to get back onto the more interesting cases." With a quick snap of my fingers, the aforementioned papers fell from the swirling black and purple portal I summoned. The woman's face went white and I bit back a wince. Right, my… _abilities_ weren't especially welcome here anymore. I gently laid the papers on the desk before tactfully retreating towards the elevator at the other end of white-walled room.

"R-right," the woman stuttered. "Mr. Vale said he'd like to see you right away, i-if you're up for it, that is…" Sighing, I pressed the "up" button on the elevator and awkwardly waited for it to come as the woman scooted as far away as she could get from my side of the room.

"Ok, I'll drop by his office first then," I acknowledged, idly fidgeting with my black leather gloves. She nodded jerkily and I looked away, muttering "thank God" under my breath when the elevator finally came.

I knew people would fear me after what happened this summer, and they did back at the local office too, but that conversation had been far more awkward than what I expected. Then again, my local office was used to my antics by now while the regional one was… _not_ \- or at the very least, not anymore. Sighing as the elevator made its way to the seventh floor, I was extremely thankful that no one else was in it with me. I didn't really feel up to dealing with any more people right now, but I didn't really have a choice since I already showed up today. Glancing at the red, blue, and silver pin on my long, black trench coat, I gripped it once for reassurance before the elevator dinged softly. Well, it was time to face the music.

As I made my way out of the elevator and onto the cubicle-ridden floor, I could feel the burning stares on me as I made my way to the back where Vale's office was. Hushed whispers followed me, and I could hear among the other exorcists, clad in their own black coats, the words "eyes," "strong," "menace," and "witch." Whenever I looked toward the sources of them though, they quickly quieted and looked away either in shame or disgust.

...Hoping for a warm welcome was a bit much, wasn't it?

Honestly, tamers used minor magic in grimoires all the the time and other smaller, but still useful, spells for exorcising demons were endorsed by the Vatican ages ago, so what was the big deal about-

I was cut off from my internal rant by someone running into me - no, _hugging_ me - and I looked down in surprise. The perpetrator, a short woman with curly chestnut brown hair and pale gray eyes, laughed wholeheartedly at my expression. It was Lizzy Morrigan - of course it was her.

"Your face was scaring the others," she whispered in my ear before letting me go and gesturing wildly, hopping up and down enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you're back, Ari! It's been rather boring here without my partner, I kept getting stuck with newbies who just got their meisters or," she paused her loud rant to shudder, "teaching exwires. _Teenagers!_ Gosh, I never want to go back to school, like, ever." I mouthed "sorry" to her as an apology for earlier after most of the others lost interest during her little tirade. Lizzy, bright and full of energy, had no doubt gotten on some of their nerves during my leave of absence.

"Ah, they can't be that bad," I said with a small smile, continuing my walk with Lizzy now trailing after me. "Though I was told Vale is expecting me, so I have to get a move on. See you at lunch?" I was hopeful that she would agree, she _did_ visit me at the hospital out of sincere concern, unlike a few others…

"Mr. Rules on your first day back, huh? I don't envy you one bit," Lizzy said, stifling a small laugh. "Lunch works fine for me as long as I don't get called out or something. I'll send a text to let you know." Abruptly, she waved before turning on her heels and walking away, presumably back to her own cubicle. Finally arriving at the large oak door to one of the few decent offices in this damn building, I steeled myself and knocked on the door. A muffled "come in" came from the other side, and I carefully entered the room, closing the door behind me.

"So you've finally decided to come back," Vale drawled. He was a fairly muscular, imposing man in his mid twenties with slicked back black hair and chocolate brown eyes. Even if he was only a few years older than myself, he insisted that he be referred to by his last name. He outranked me and was a rather strict at times, not hesitating to put the exorcists he managed into paperwork hell for minor errors or infractions. Back when Lizzy and I were assigned to him right out of cram school, we often joked that working with Greg downstairs would be way more fun. I miss Greg, it was too bad that he was done in by a nasty seraphim last year. He was a real friendly guy too…

"Yes, sir," I said neutrally. "The local office deemed I was ready to go back to work as per usual."

"Very well, Kado. For what it's worth, I'm glad you're back," he said, flashing me a rare grin before ruffling through the papers strewn across his desk. Glancing out the tall arching widows behind him, I contemplated that this was probably the closest thing to approval I'd ever seen Vale give to… anyone, actually. "Here's the latest case," he said, shoving a thick stack of papers into my hands. "Williams turned traitor earlier this week, going off about releasing some demon so the Order can see 'the true beauty of chaos.' The demon he was referring to in his ravings, a kitsune, is a species found exclusively in Japan, so we've been monitoring any flights into or out of the country. We confiscated his keys slightly before then due to a few misdemeanors, mainly for using them in front of the general population carelessly, so he shouldn't be able to leave the country too easily, even if he's never been granted clearance to use an international key." I nodded, humming briefly in thought. That was one of the few nice things about being an exorcist - the keys made distant cities or far-off countries only a turn away. Hell, the only reason I walked in to work through the front door today was that I warped to a separate point and took a little detour to a cafe I liked beforehand to ease my nerves.

"Williams always seemed pretty stable, does anyone know what caused this?" I asked, and Vale sighed, rubbing his temples.

"That's the thing - there's nothing at all hinting _why_ he would go do this. As far as the kitsune goes though, he checked out a book on Japanese demons from Canada's exorcist library a month ago, but that's it. Regardless, catching him is our top priority. If you-" he was cut off as his phone began ringing. It was a very boring default ringtone, and I liked mine much better (it was a soft piano tune rendition of a video game song). "Go handle general requests with Morrigan for now. Come back after lunch and tell me if you see Williams." I left the room as he picked up the phone, and his office quickly turned into a whirlwind of exclamations as even more papers spewed about. That phone call was apparently pretty important.

Making my way over to Lizzy's desk, I was thankful that most of the exorcists had already left for routine checks or exorcism requests. Less people meant less of a hassle for me, at least. Beige carpeting and white walls made for a dull walk - this place could really use some interior decorating. Lizzy's desk was a bit more noticeable than others though, superhero and anime posters seemingly adorning the walls of her cubicle at random, though I knew they were actually in alphabetical order. A few _Batman_ comics were tucked neatly in the corner next to her cube-shaped computer monitor. If there was one thing I really missed from my past life, it was the technology. I knew that it would be back eventually, but for now I really missed smartphones and old (or future?) computers.

"Hey Lizzy, Vale said that I'm working with you today - we're taking general requests instead of… whatever you're doing," I said, tapping my fingers on the edge of her metal desk. Lizzy cheered.

"Yes! I was getting so bored, I was stuck on paperwork duty these past few days. It's a total pain in the ass," she quipped, pulling up the mission request board on her computer. "Let's see here… a leaper sighting near the beach, does that sound good to you?" I hummed.

"Sure, sure, let's get a move on then."

* * *

Thankfully, it was a quick job. Lizzy just summoned one of her familiars to take care of it (I didn't even have to draw my gun), and we got back with enough time to grab some take-out on the way back to the office. We chatted a bit on the way back, and once again I found myself internally reminiscing on my past life. I really missed some of the stories from there, the_ MCU_ and _Fullmetal Alchemist_ in particular were ones that I still remembered in detail. I did watched anime once in a while nowadays, but considering the limited options compared to the golden age of the internet, well… there were only so many times one could rewatch _Neon Genesis Evangelion_. Hell,_ Trigun_ wasn't even out here yet! I tried to watch some of the other shows Lizzy recommended once in a while, and it was rather fun, but they also left me feeling vaguely homesick. I'd spent over twenty years here, so I'd mostly gotten over it, but I'd still go reflecting on back then once in a while.

Unfortunately, this peace did not last. Once we got to the office, the whole place was in an uproar. Lizzy asked someone about it, and apparently Vale had called for an emergency meeting in the main hall for all available exorcists. We rushed down to the main floor, barely making it in time. The heavy wooden doors slammed firmly closed behind us.

The room was packed to the brim with exorcists, and thanks to my… _peculiar_ reputation, Lizzy dragged us to the front without much fuss from our coworkers, all the way up to the large stage with gold curtains. The main hall was one of the few rooms that was tastefully decorated, with larger windows than the rest of the building, hardwood flooring, a silver chandelier, and dark blue wallpaper with intricate silver and gold vines adorning it. The room was loud, with people eagerly talking with those from other departments that they rarely saw about the latest demons they've slayed. Vale, though, had his business face on so the crowd quieted rapidly as he walked onto the stage, his footsteps echoing loudly in the large room.

"Good afternoon, I am Erin Vale, Upper Second Class Exorcist. As many of you may know, Roger Williams, Lower First Class Exorcist, turned traitor earlier this month. This morning, he was spotted near Academy Town in Japan," he said sternly, and the room once broke out into hushed whispers. "As it was our failing for letting him escape the country, the Canada Branch has determined it vital that, alongside their own select forces, we send some of our own to help clean up this mess. Like any international mission, we will be given translation seals to accommodate for the language barrier. I will be leading this mission myself, and how long we will be there is uncertain, so if any of you cannot leave the country for personal reasons, please leave the room now." Vale paused in his speech to gesture towards the doors.

"A chance to go to Japan, an all inclusive work trip too! This'll be fun, right Ari?" Lizzy asked, bouncing on her heels enthusiastically. My lips twitched into a small smile.

"Yeah, but we'll be hunting down one of our own the whole time, so it's not all fun and games," I replied, twirling some of my loose hair with my left hand. "Besides, his keys were taken which means he must've had some outside help to get so far. That also means some of the Japan Branch will be suspicious of us the whole time, and vice-versa." Over half the room was gone now, not wanting to go one a wild goose chase. A lot of the younger exorcists stuck around though, and some of the really old ones did too. They probably either wanted a vacation or to prove their branch of the Order competent.

"But they'll be equally suspicious of all of us, at least. They won't be excessively hostile to you since they have no way of know about… _that_, and no one will want to bring Vale's ire by informing them either," she responded. I perked up at that.

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She laughed.

"Surprised me too, but Vale doesn't really like it when the others talk about the incident. It's supposed to be classified, so to see them being so open about it…" she shrugged. "It's not to say he trusts you - he doesn't, or at least I don't think he does - but he doesn't outright hate you for it, so that's a plus? Actually, even with you back the gossip is _way_ better than right after the battle." I nodded, slightly fearful for my safety if constant whispers and glares were considered "better."

"I suppose that makes some sense, still surprising though."

Vale tapped the microphone and it blared loudly, catching the attention of the forty or so people still in the room.

"Right, it's good to see so many familiar faces. From those of you remaining, my picks for this mission are…" Vale began listing names rapid-fire. I recognized most, but didn't pay them much attention. Since they were his personal picks, I doubted I'd get to go. Lizzy cheered when she heard her name, and surprising I was the last one he listed. I stilled, pleasantly surprised. The rest of the room, however, was not.

"Why does she get to go?"

"We can't trust a witch!"

"Who let her back in here anyways?"

"Silence!" Vale shouted, face pale. "I chose who I deemed worthy for this mission and those capable as front-line fighters, just in case Williams gets his hands on the fox demon that he set his sights on. Regardless of how or your personal feelings on the matter, Intermediate Second Class Exorcist Arianna Kado is _certainly_ a capable front-line fighter. This will be the mission team and that is final. We cannot and _will_ not show this kind of internal fighting to the Japan Branch, _understand?_ If you can't hold your tongue, leave." The room fell silent, and though the offer was there, no one dared to leave the room. "No further issues then? Good. Those participating in the mission, get ready immediately. We will be leaving in two hours. Any other missions you have are suspended, go get your belongings packed." With that, Vale stormed out of the room through one of the stage's side exits. The rest of the room fell into loud gossiping, mostly about me, and Lizzy dragged me out.

"Don't worry about them, this'll be a great trip! We'll catch him for sure and definitely have enough time for some minor sightseeing," she said in an attempt to distract me from the curses and glares being thrown my way. "Your dad's side of the family is from Japan too, right?" I nodded, grateful for her help as the pair of us made our way to the room of empty doors used for warp keys.

"Yeah, though I've never been there before. He didn't exactly leave them on the best of terms from what I understand. He only really talks to one of his sisters anymore," I rambled. "I do know the language though, so I won't always need the translation seal - though I'll definitely wear it just in case, even if they feel a bit weird." Lizzy smiled.

"I totally get what you mean, wearing it in Germany was pretty awkward - like, you get to speak and understand the language with no effort, but at the same time you're always conscious that you're doing so. It feels really weird on my tongue, you know?" she bantered lightly. "Though it works for written language too - hey, maybe I can read some manga to get ahead while I'm over there!" Her face significantly brightened at the suggestion, and I laughed.

"Good luck with that, if you buy any you won't be able to read it once we get back." At that, her face fell.

"Damn, you make a good point! Guess I can't take any books home, though figurines on the other hand…" she trailed off, smirking. "Well, here are the doors - see you!" I gave Lizzy a smile and wave as she used her key to go back to her home while I took my own out to warp to my apartment. Once I was surrounded by the familiar setting - cool beige tile and pale blue walls at the entryway, ever-so-comfortingly _mine_ \- I felt tension leave my shoulders that I didn't even realize was there.

I wouldn't be back here for a while, but maybe Lizzy was right. Japan would be a nice change in scenery, and maybe - just maybe - I could find people there to talk to that wouldn't treat me like I was cursed or made of glass.

* * *

After I finished packing, I quickly glanced at the clock on the wall. It had only taken me a little under an hour to throw things together, though admittedly I probably grabbed more than what was strictly needed. Fortunately, it wasn't that big of a deal since I had simply thrown everything in a pocket dimension anyways, so it wasn't like I had to carry any suitcases. Sighing, I triple checked my weapons one last time. Pistols? Check. Knives? Check. Ammo - live and tranquilizers? Check. Big pointy swords and rifles in that one _specific_ pocket dimension? Check. I was as ready as I'll ever be.

Looking one last time in the mirror, I stretched, making sure my outfit was comfortable enough for a fight. Dark blue skinny jeans, black knee-high combat boots, my exorcist coat, black gloves, and a maroon turtleneck to match my eyes… I accidentally met my own gaze, red eyes slit like a snake's, and scowled. My eyes had always bothered me in this life, as they were so very different than my old ones. They used to be black here, which was at least a natural color, but now…

I shook my head. This would have to do. Taking out my keys, I warped back to work and made my way to the main hall. Lizzy was nowhere in sight - she was probably still packing. As I entered the room, an older exorcists asked me to show my ID before pointing me over to a few secluded booths that had been set up at the left side of the room. There were a few others milling about, but they all gave me a wide berth.

Inside the booth, an exorcist was waiting with an open book and some permanent markers. This was the easiest way to apply a translation seal for a limited time. Occasionally, temporary tattoos were used, but they come off too quickly for longer term missions like this one. Actual tattoos would be ideal, but unfortunately permanent translation seals were reserved for Arc Knights, the Grigori, the Paladin, and _very_ select few international operatives. Interestingly enough, the Vatican Headquarters actually had translation seals woven into its barriers so the exorcists inside could always understand each other, regardless of where they came from. I took off one of my black gloves, revealing pale skin covered in burn scars and dark veins. The man grimaced.

"That looks… pretty bad," he said, rubbing his right hand behind his neck. He must've been from the national branch, as seal appliers often were, because he didn't shirk too far away from me at the obvious signs of magical backlash. I was relieved that the room was mostly empty and no one seemed to be watching me - the ones from the regional office would probably use this as more evidence that I was unfit for this mission, as twisted as it was.

"Yep," I chirped. "Though, as you can see, I have no real reason to take these off, so at least the seal will remain covered." The man nodded. It was standard procedure to cover translation seals at all times, for if a smarter enemy attacked them, it would fracture teamwork between the local and international exorcists if they could no longer understand each other. This was also why everyone had their translation seals in a different place that only they and their applier knew.

"Right, I'll get started then," the man said, taking the marker to my skin and chanting as he drew. Once he was done, he turned to me and said, _"You can understand this, right?"_ I could, and prepared myself to reply back in the same language.

_"Yes, the seal appears to be in working order. Thank you very much,"_ I replied, and the man grinned.

_"Great, good luck and have fun!"_ he said, and I gave him a small smile on my way out of the booth. Lizzy still wasn't here, so I found myself an unoccupied corner of the room and sat down, pulling a _Harry Potter_ book out of a portal to kill some time.

I made a point to glance up to check the room after every few pages or so, and just as I thought, Lizzy was one of the last few to enter the hall out of the fifteen of us going, dragging a rather large suitcase behind her. I put my book away and made my way over to her after she got her own seal. She grinned at me, but we couldn't talk as Vale called the room to order.

_"Thank you all for arriving on time,"_ he said clearly, making use of the translation seal. _"We will be using the international door, obviously, but don't let this fool you. We will be immediately warping to True Cross Academy, where we will be convening with both the Canada and Japan Branches' exorcists that have been assigned this mission alongside us. We will work cordially with both, or there will be consequences. Sir Pheles himself will greet us as soon as we get there."_ I rolled my shoulders, loosening them up from the building stress. The name sounded familiar, but it was of no consequence. The bigger concern I had was about the other exorcists that were awaiting us. Would they already know about me, or was Lizzy right? That was the question that would make or break our trip.

"Sir Pheles is the manager of the Japan Branch, right?" Lizzy whispered to me. I hummed in affirmation.

"Think so, that would explain where I've heard the name before," I replied softly.

_"Everyone, please do your best!"_ Vale exclaimed as he swept aside the stage's golden curtains to reveal a large, intricately painted door - the international door of the Vancouver office. Gently inserting a key into the door, he opened it, and the rest of us piled in one by one. The Japan Branch's main headquarters was gorgeous - golden bridges in a circular room, below which was an endless abyss - but I unfortunately didn't have much time to admire the architecture as Vale immediately used another key on a smaller door to warp us to True Cross Academy. There, we were met with a seemingly infinite hallway. It had a black and red checkerboard floor and was lined with large, imposing doors separated by yellow and green pillars. Its design, while a tad eccentric, was certainly more visually interesting than the Vancouver office's. Vale closed the door and began leading us down the hallway towards the meeting room.

_"This is a pretty cool building, to be honest,"_ I commented, and Lizzy stifled a giggle. Out of the corner of my eye a noticed something small and white observing us from behind one of the pillars, but paid it no mind. I doubted a high-level demon would be running around a building used frequently by exorcists, different country or not, so it probably wasn't a threat.

_"Of course you'd be eyeing the architecture, miss artist,"_ she quipped, referencing the sketchbook I used to carry around to doodle in when I was bored at cram school. _"I personally am more interested in all the new anime I can watch now - I heard that_ Cowboy Bebop_ was pretty good and just finished airing, think I can pick it up to binge back at the hotel or wherever we're staying?"_ I tried not to smirk, knowing that it was indeed a good show, though where she heard that I had no clue. Movement caught my attention and I turned to the pillar from before, noticing that a small white dog wearing a pink bandana with white polka dots and an exorcist pin was watching us intently. I had a strange feeling of deja vu, but shrugged it off. It couldn't be that important, right?

_"Yeah, I'll watch it with you if you want. I'll even pay for it too as long as I get to keep it when we go back. I'll at least be able to enjoy it at home,"_ I replied, and Lizzy hugged me.

_"Thank you so, so much - it'll be a blast!"_ she said, smiling goofily. The other exorcists simply ignored us, whispering among themselves. As we walked towards the room, I kept looking back once in a while, noticing that the dog was trailing us. Eventually, I decided to say something to Lizzy, especially since the dog _felt_ like something (magic, perhaps?) and seemed to be far more intelligent than a regular canine from how he was looking at us.

"Don't look now, but behind us on the right wall there is a small white dog following us," I said in English, just in case it could understand Japanese for whatever reason. Of course, Lizzy being Lizzy, she immediately looked behind her, and I resisted the urge to facepalm. I glanced back at the dog, since all subtlety was lost at this point, and it smirked back at us knowingly. I sighed.

"Yep, there's certainly a dog there. A rather cute one too! I would go pet it if it didn't have that pin on it. It might be someone's demon familiar, and I wouldn't want to make a bad first impression, you know?" she mused, her brown hair bobbing up and down as we walked. The dog twitched, seemingly offended. I covered a smirk with my left hand. It was a rather funny expression to see on a dog, after all. Although, him being a demon would certainly explain that aura.

"Ah, I'm not too sure about that, but it looks like we're here," I replied as Vale stopped in front of a slightly larger door that the others.

_"This is it, folks. Remember to be unified in our approach, we stand as one organization,"_ he said before prying the door open. Light flooded into our eyes as we were met with nearly thirty other exorcists. I recognized a few faces from the Canada Branch, meaning that they must've gotten here before us. Vale nodded in acknowledgement, and we filed into the room.

The exorcists from Vancouver all ignored me as expected, and though a small handful of others, presumably from the Canada Headquarters, seemed to avoid Lizzy and I, the majority didn't mind our presence at all, treating us as merely international colleagues. Lizzy and I ended up in a friendly conversation with a teacher at Japan's Cram School. He was an awkward man with light blue hair named Yamato, though he warmed up to Lizzy quickly when she mentioned she was a tamer. He taught Summoning and Demonology, apparently, and was enthused to find a knowledgeable soul from across the ocean to converse with. I checked out of the conversation shortly after they began comparing the demons of rot exclusive to their countries and instead glanced at the chalkboard and desk at the front of the room. The other desks were pushed to the side and the chairs were piled high; this seemed to be an old classroom that was half-heartedly deemed a meeting room at some point. The whole room, once again, felt vaguely familiar.

This whole trip, whatever little there was of it so far, was giving me a strong vibe of "definitely seen that before," even at the Japan Headquarters, which I _knew_ that I've never been to before. Hell, I had never even been to the country before! Maybe something from my first life? I remembered that seeing coal tars for the first time reminded me of something too… an anime series, I believe?

That's right, an anime that took place in Japan, so I ignored it, deeming it irrelevant as I made room in my mind for more important things like sword fighting, shooting, and eventually magic. I was now regretting that I had forgotten most, if not all, of it because I was on a different continent that went untouched by the plot. What was it called again? _Blue…_ something.

Great, a color. How helpful.

Besides, it was something I watched in middle school, so how the hell was I supposed to remember much-

Out of nowhere, pink smoke poofed into existence near the front of the room and a tall man with purple hair donning a white suite and cape emerged from it, standing atop the desk by the chalkboard.

_"Guten morgen, exorcists!"_ he preened. I raised an eyebrow. He gave a German greeting in Japan to a group of mostly Canadians. Very… multicultural, I suppose. _"My name is Mephisto Pheles, Honorary Knight and Head of the Japan Branch of the True Cross Order. I am honored to welcome our Canadian compatriots in an effort to smoke out a traitor of theirs, who was last seen on the outskirts of our very own Academy Town earlier today. I leave the rest of the explanations to Erin Vale, Upper Second Class Exorcist and leader of this mission."_ He smirked deviously and hopped down from the desk, gesturing to Vale who, at some point, had made his way to the front of the room. Vale began talking, all recap about Williams and his goals, but I was tuning him out.

My mind was reeling. Mephisto Pheles. _Mephistopheles_, as in the demon from the Faust legend? I never thought I'd thank the English teacher from my first life for those darn allusion projects but… well, I suppose it did come in handy after all (not in my original lifetime, but still, it's the thought that counts). That was probably why the name "Pheles" was vaguely familiar, but there was something else about him… that aura-

Oh, he was the dog from earlier.

I looked at him curiously. He wearing the same pink and white polka-dotted scarf/necktie thing, and it was no wonder he was offended when Lizzy called him a familiar.

…It was also pretty ironic that his dog form was so tiny when he himself was easily over six feet tall.

Tuning back in a little, Vale was still going on about Williams' behavioral patterns, all of which I knew from glancing over the report on the way to go fight the leaper. I turned to Lizzy, who was also barely paying attention and instead was intent on counting the ceiling tiles. I gently tapped on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Lizzy," I whispered, and she looked at me curiously. "Sir Pheles is the dog from earlier. Same necktie and magic aura." Her mouth formed a small 'o' in recognition.

"That's why he looks so familiar," she mumbled back. "I see it now, though I think he's looking at us." And indeed he was, sparing us a quick wink before going back to paying attention to Vale's speech. Taking that as our clue to pay attention again, Lizzy and I looked back to Vale, who actually began telling us useful information.

_"We'll be splitting up in groups of two or three to cover as much ground in and around Academy Town as possible,"_ Vale began. _"Please try to split up from those you usually work with as well. Once the groups are formed, I will hand out patrol routes and schedules for the remainder of the week. All international exorcists will be staying in the old dormitories provided by the academy. Thank you for your time, and is there anything you have to add, Sir Pheles?"_ The man in question clapped his gloved hands and smiled widely.

_"Yes, actually. I need a brave volunteer to be my secretary for the week since my usual one is… out of commission, I dare say. Normally, I wouldn't ask an exorcist to do something like this, but since there are so many of you now, it's not an issue, is it?"_ he said, shrugging. Vale looked constipated, but couldn't really deny him since he was an honorary knight and all. Besides, one exorcist wouldn't really make or break this mission. The room shuffled awkwardly, no one wanting to step forward. Actually, Yamato didn't even looked that surprised. Lizzy looked at him questioningly.

_"He sometimes calls us teachers to do paperwork or carry stuff around for him too,"_ he explained, running a hand through his blue hair. _"Even though he doesn't really need anyone one for that, considering… I think he does stuff like this anyways just to show that he can. It's kind of annoying, and depending on how interested he is in you, it can be really weird too. Just don't let him get under your skin and you'll be fine - not that I think any of us will be called out for it. It's such a small chance with a room this big, after all."_ Unfortunately, as I should've known from the start, luck wasn't exactly on my side.

_"No volunteers? Oh dear, it seems that my reputation precedes me,"_ Sir Pheles mused. _"Alas, whatever shall I do without an assistant? Hm… I suppose I'll have to choose someone then, you force my hand. You, in back. Blonde hair and red eyes? Come forward, dear."_ I sighed. Yeah, I was definitely the only one with red eyes in the room. The other exorcists parted, allowing me to easily make my way over to him. As I got closer, I belatedly realized that, between his sharp teeth (fully on display due to his wide smile), pointy ears, and slit green eyes, he was certainly a demon. That _would_ explain why he was able to turn into a dog, I suppose.

_"Very well, you'll do nicely. If you'll excuse me, Mr. Vale, we'll be on our way then. Good luck and auf wiedersehen!"_ he exclaimed before grabbing my arm with one hand and snapping his fingers with the other. In a puff of pink smoke, I was suddenly transported to a large office with deep red walls decorated with dark wood. A large desk sat in front of me, and behind it, in front of a very comfortable looking pink chair with golden cushions, stood Sir Pheles. The other exorcists, Lizzy and Yamato included, were nowhere to be seen. He smirked before picking up a towering pile of papers and shoving them at me.

"Chop chop, darling - we haven't got all day," he practically sang, gesturing to the coffee table and the brown and gold striped couch behind me. I realized he was speaking English, but I quickly brushed it off. That meant he probably knew that Lizzy and I were talking about him earlier, unluckily for me. He sat down and began working on his own stack, so I brought what papers I was saddled with over to the aforementioned coffee table and was pleasantly surprised that he had at least given me generic exorcism requests and completion forms that I could actually fill out and finalize. Sometimes, higher-ranked exorcists would give others more complicated or near impossible to complete forms to "break in the newbies" (surprisingly, Vale was actually very against this as he considered it "inefficient" and "a waste of time for everyone involved"). Realizing a bit too late that he hadn't given me a pen, I simply summoned one of my favorite gel pens from a pocket dimension as I didn't want to break his concentration by asking for one. This seemed to be a wrong choice as, though engrossed in his paperwork he seemed, Sir Pheles immediately looked up to catch me in the act. His grin grew shark-like.

"My, my, how did you manage that?" he crooned. "I don't believe I caught your name, dear." I sighed internally, resigning myself to my fate while externally schooling my face to hide my annoyance at being caught. Lizzy was right, why didn't I just carry around a pen like a normal human being? Right, because I could summon whatever I wanted as long as I put it away in a portal beforehand.

"Airi 'Arianna' Kado, sir - just another average exorcist." At this comment, he chuckled.

"That, Miss Kado, I highly doubt."

* * *

**AN: I couldn't really resist writing this - I binged Blue Exorcist again for the first time in ages, and this idea wormed its way into my brain. It may be an OC story, but it's also very different in setup than what I've seen before. Hopefully it's interesting at the very least. I know this chapter is really OC heavy, which can be a bit difficult early on in a story, but it was a necessity with this concept. There are also a quite a few original ideas in here, so I hope that turned out alright in execution. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed reading!**

**3/7/19 - Minor grammar edits for ease of reading.**

**4/2/19 - More grammar edits, fixing a few sentences here and there for world building purposes.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Behind Locked Doors**

I shifted the papers around, unsure of how to respond to that. Sir Pheles was smirking right at me, elbows on his desk and chin resting on his hands, looking at me as if I was a new toy to mess around with or a new puzzle to solve. It was… unnerving, to say the least. Yamato's advice certainly made more sense now, and I regretted being so careless with my abilities. I _really_ should have thought to hide them, especially since the purple-haired man exuded a powerful magic aura himself. Live and learn, I suppose.

"Well, darling, I'm waiting for my answer," he purred, green eyes twinkling. I bit back a sigh, contemplating how much information was appropriate to give the demon. Nothing that could be used against me too easily, of course, but considering the subject matter, I'd have to carefully toe the line.

Really, what a drag. I had nothing against demons - surprising for an exorcist, I know - but even I knew that giving out too much personal information without collecting some of theirs for collateral was… unwise. At the same time though, he was an exorcist - my superior, at that - so I couldn't simply brush his question off. Deciding to be vague, I began to speak in an even tone.

"It was magic, Sir Pheles," I said. His lips twitched upwards.

"Yes, yes - I could see that. But what _kind_ of magic, dear?" he asked. "I haven't seen anything like _that_ in quite a long time." I bit back a wince. My magic was a bit of a touchy subject, as some of the tomes and arrays I dabbled with were _technically _forbidden by the Order and could result in a slap on the wrist at best and being burned at the stake for witchcraft at worst. Considering the recent precedent the blue night had set for those considered "witches," it would probably be the latter. He didn't know that though, there was no possible way for him to, so the best course of action was to answer with merely the domain and attempt to change the direction of the conversation before he asked for any specifics.

"It's a bit obvious, isn't it? It's space magic. Though I'm fairly certain you have some magical expertise yourself - the teleportation and the dog form are rather obvious signs, don't you think?" I asked, turning the questions onto him instead. He chuckled.

"Oh, so I did make the right choice by picking you, darling," he mused. "You're rather observant. I was debating between you and the brunette after your conversation in the hall, but you're far more interesting." I shrugged, going back to filling out paperwork. That was a slightly worrying statement, but it was better than him asking questions.

"Thank you, I suppose," I stated. "Though perhaps _Twenty Questions_ would best be saved for another time." He hummed in affirmation, and thankfully, he took the hint and went back to his own stack of papers. We worked like that for a while, in comfortable silence. Even if I knew I had to be careful around him, this was _far_ better than the glares. In a way it was… nice.

Nothing can last forever though. A few hours later, after I had gotten through the majority of my stack, _A Cruel Angel's Thesis_ broke out loudly from somewhere in the room, disturbing the peace. I flushed in embarrassment, sincerely hoping Lizzy hadn't went and changed my ringtone again. It wasn't mine though, and looking up, I saw Sir Pheles answer a pink flip phone.

_"Hello,"_ he greeted, and I let out a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't me, though I did file away that Sir Pheles was also a fan of anime somewhere in the back of my brain, just in case it came up. I ignored the phone call, turning back to the torture that was paperwork. After finishing a damage report from the last Exwire Authorization Exam, I sighed. Finally, my stack was done. Taking it over to Sir Pheles, who was still on the phone, I carefully set it on the empty corner of his desk. After hung up the phone, he pocketed it before standing up and walking towards the office doors, cape swishing behind him.

_"You finished, dear? Excellent,"_ he began. _"Some low-level demons have been sighted nearby, so it's time to take our leave. The fact that they may have come through the barrier is a bit worrying, especially with Williams milling about."_ He gracefully stormed out, and I jogged to catch up to him.

Once we made it outside, I couldn't help but notice there weren't any coal tars floating about, which meant the barriers here had to be very strong. Normally, barriers weren't all-inclusive and let harmless demons like them float in and out in order to preserve energy for the ones that could actually cause problems, like lower- to mid-level hobgoblins. No barrier could keep out a determined upper-level demon forever though, so they were a bit useless when under direct attack. But as far as everyday purposes go… this was as good as it got outside of the Vatican itself. I spared Sir Pheles a glance. It must've been his doing, for barriers often were rooted in magic, and he _did_ imply that he knew some (this is why I found myself so irritated at the Order's stance on magic - they grandfathered in some rituals and spells while attacking all others viciously, only rarely acknowledging that any magic other than their own wasn't inherently evil; in my humble opinion, knowledge is power, and learning from others can only help you in the long run). Between the barriers and the teleportation, he must be pretty good at it too. He _was_ a demon though, and magic often came easier to demons as an extension of their powers than it did for humans. I had no doubt that he could be rather dangerous if he wanted to.

As we paced the streets, me trailing slightly behind him, I looked around and took in the scenery. Academy Town was breathtaking. The gorgeous stonework, the arching bridges, the greenery, and the buildings were all incredibly beautiful. The style reminded me very much of Europe, and considering Sir Pheles' use of German, it made sense. It was his town - his domain, as it were - so it made sense that its style would reflect his preferences. Students wandered about, chatting happily about the upcoming winter break and sparing Sir Pheles, who from the paperwork I discovered was the Principal of this school, a glance as we passed. It was a pleasant experience not to be the one stared at for once, especially since I'd never been much of a people person.

_"Like what you see?"_ Sir Pheles asked, turning back to look at me and tilting his top hat smugly. I smiled.

_"Yes, Academy Town is beautiful,"_ I said, deciding to be honest. He hummed to himself, obviously pleased, as we arrived at a street sectioned off by caution tape and guarded by exorcists.

_"I try my best, darling. After you,"_ he chirped, bowing and holding up the tape so I could slide under it. I did so and he followed me, letting me take the lead. As we walked up to two exorcists guarding a group of teenagers, all looking away shamefully, I flashed my ID.

_"Do you know what happened here or is the investigation still ongoing?"_ I asked. The one on the left glanced at Sir Pheles for approval. He nodded, and the man started to speak.

_"Unfortunately, yes. This group of pages,"_ he said, gesturing to the teens, _"wanted to try fighting demons by themselves, so they summoned them in the attic of the bakery behind us. A few got out through the window and into the street, but since exorcists were already patrolling here for Williams, they were able to take care of it quickly and no civilians got temptaints."_ I resisted the urge to sigh and turned to Sir Pheles.

_"Well, there you have it - the barriers aren't compromised since the demons were summoned from the inside,"_ I said, turning back to see Sir Pheles glaring darkly at the teens.

_"Naughty, naughty children you are… Well, I'll let Todo and Yamato think of a fitting punishment for you. You're each very,_ very _lucky that I have far more important things to do than deal with this nonsense,"_ he quipped before turning around to leave the scene, cape swishing behind him. _"Exorcists, clean up this mess, will you? Miss Kado, come with me - we have other matters to attend to."_ Sighing, I turned to follow him. On the walk back, I swore I heard him mutter "what a colossal waste of time" and "teenagers" under his breath. I couldn't help but think that, if only for their mutual distaste for them, he and Lizzy might get along.

_"At least it wasn't as big of a waste of time as the last few episodes of_ Eva_,"_ I whispered, recalling my annoyance after I finished it for the first time. He stilled in his tracks, turning to face me while dramatically placing his hand over his heart in mock hurt.

_"What are you saying -_ Evangelion's _ending was a work of art!"_ he exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

_"Perhaps it looked artsy, but it made little to no sense,"_ I commented._ "The rest of the series is still great, but you can't deny its delivery could've been handled a bit better."_ He sighed.

_"Well, to each their own,"_ he said, exasperated. _"Though if I may inquire, what other series have you seen?"_

_"Ah… I've been watching_ Sailor Moon_ again recently, I lost track of where it was at and have been trying to catch up. What about you?"_

We continued to chat for a while about various anime, and eventually manga, that we had seen or read. It was pleasant, and though once in a while he started needling me about my personal life, I was always able to deflect it. It was interesting to see another's perspective on the medium, as normally I only talked about this sort of thing with Lizzy. He even asked a little about american comic books, which was nice.

More or less, the rest of the day followed a similar pattern. Casually conversation over paperwork, going with Sir Pheles as he talked to teachers about something, and occasionally a group of exorcists would call in to inform him that they hadn't seen Williams at the ends of their shifts. It was somehow boring and constantly busy at the same time, a very strange sort of hell, and I didn't envy his position one bit. As the sky began to darken, day turning into night, I couldn't help but yawn. The time change meant I had worked a longer day than usual, and with the ridiculous amount of paperwork, I was starting to go brain dead. Sir Pheles chuckled, glancing at the time.

"Yes, I suppose it would be rather late for you back home now - why don't you head over to the dorm and turn in for the night? I have things handled over here, you've done well today," he said, tossing me a key, presumably one for the dorm I was staying at.

"Thank you, Sir Pheles," I replied, dropping my pen back into a portal before placing the remaining papers on his desk.

"No need for such formalities, just Mephisto is acceptable," he stated, and after a moment of deliberation, he threw me another key. "Please be back here at 8:00 AM sharp, we have far more of this mess to work through. The second key is for the office so you don't have to look for it in the morning." I noticed that he was far less enthusiastic and energetic than at the beginning of the day, and I could only assume that the paperwork was taking its toll on him.

"You can call me Airi then, Sir- ah, Mephisto," I said, correcting myself. The name felt weird on my tongue after mentally referring to him as Sir Pheles all day. "Good night, see you later." He waved at me as I turned to leave.

I then used the dorm key, immediately warping to the entryway of the old girls dormitory, and I couldn't help but be reminded of my college and cram school days. Sighing, I asked another exorcist where the cafeteria was. She pointed me in the right direction, and I grabbed something to eat before texting Lizzy. She had apparently gotten a room for the two of us already. I made my way to the room number that she texted me, yawning along the way. Thankfully, most of the other female exorcists were extremely tired tonight, so I didn't have to deal with too many glares and knowing looks. I opened the door, locking it behind me, before giving Lizzy an empty wave, setting my alarm, and collapsing into bed. I was totally exhausted, and thankfully, Lizzy didn't question it, turning in for the night only a few minutes after I pulled the sheets over my head.

This trip was certainly weird so far, but as long as I was careful, it was most certainly a good kind of weird. Hell, with any luck, we'll catch Williams and the rest of the Vancouver office will treat me a bit better because of it. Admittedly, that was probably wishful thinking, but I couldn't bring myself to care too much as I slipped into a comforting slumber.

* * *

The next morning was rather chaotic. I didn't get up that late, but dealing with communal showers for the first time in ages was a huge pain in the ass. Additionally, though the food was good, I had no idea who had made it. I'd have to find them and thank them later, but considering that I only had five minutes to run back to the room and grab my guns and knives before I had to be at Mephisto's office, it definitely was a _later_ thing. Weaving through the several other exorcists milling about the halls, I tossed on my coat, holsters, and knives as fast as I could before buttoning up my coat over the dark gray turtleneck I was wearing today. I tied my long, blonde hair up in a high ponytail since I didn't exactly have time for my usual bun. Even after brushing, my hair was still wavy from the shower, but glancing at the clock one more time, I decided that I didn't really have time to fix it, so I just fumbled for my keys before warping to the office.

"You're cutting it rather close this morning, aren't you?" Mephisto noted drily, and I at least had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. It was only a minute until eight, and though I wasn't technically _late_, I should have really managed my time better.

"Sorry, it won't happen again," I said, and he chuckled.

"Oh, it's of no great concern. I've been doing this long before you came around," he muttered before gesturing to a decently sized pile of papers next to his blocky computer. "This is what we have to get through today. It's significantly less than yesterday, but still rather formidable. Take half and get started, if you please." He looked pretty tired, heavy bags under his eyes, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had gotten any sleep at all last night. Demon or not, that couldn't be healthy.

Taking a handful, I plopped them down on the coffee table and took a seat, summoning myself a pen and a thermos full of hot chocolate I had snagged from the cafeteria earlier this morning. As I did so, Mephisto eyed me curiously.

"I'm still wondering about that magic of yours, you know," he murmured, and I tried not to tense up. I was _really_ hoping to avoid this conversation. "Humans rarely have the capability for magic under the King of Time's domain, and it's especially uncommon to show such careless proficiency as you do."

"The magic chooses the witch," I said, shrugging. "I won't deny that it might be a bit strange that I'm as good at it as I am, but it's really fun to use." That was the truth too, the main reason I was so good at magic was that I was utterly captivated by it once I knew it was possible. The sheer joy of successfully casting my first levitation spell caused to me to eagerly devour as much knowledge as I could collect on the subject, regardless of its shaky standing with the Order. Mephisto's lips quirked upwards into a small grin.

"There you go again, darling," he mused, "shutting down any question about magic or your personal life with short and vague responses. Whatever did I do to offend you so?" I was growing a bit uncomfortable, and though both of our pens were scratching away as we talked, I knew I wouldn't be lucky enough to get away with sitting in silence or idle chatter like before.

"It's nothing you did, Mephisto," I stated, "I simply don't like to talk about those subjects. It's far more fun to keep the mystery alive, you know?" He smirked.

"But if there's no way for me to figure it out, it's not exactly fun for me, now is it?" he asked, smug. "I inquired with a few exorcists I knew, and some that I didn't, about you and your magic, but none were forthcoming with any information. Some seemed a bit terrified of you, darling. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?" I stilled. Thank goodness that Vale's disposition prevented any unsightly gossip, but I _really_ didn't want to tell Mephisto about it, even if it was a bit selfish. He couldn't know _why_ I was feared by my fellow exorcists quite yet - I had to delay him for at least a few more days so that I could to keep some semblance of peace and interesting company. In this somewhat desperate mind frame, the words fell rapidly from my lips before I could fully understand their implications.

"Why don't we play a game then?" I asked, and Mephisto perked up, immediately interested.

"Oh, and what kind of game do you suggest, dear?" he inquired, smiling sharply. I cursed myself internally. I needed to think of something, and fast. Well, improvising it was.

"Statements - you say something you think you know about me and why, this was there'll be no random guessing, and I'll either confirm or deny it. Of course, to make it fair, I'll be allowed to participate too with things I noticed about you," I said evenly. He didn't seem to gain too much from trailing after gossip, so this should be able to at least tide over his more pressing concerns until a later date (on a side note, I no longer felt bad about how tired he seemed - it was his own fault for trying to creepily gain more information about me, dammit). In addition, with me participating, it should curve some of his more pointed questions.

Unfortunately, though he looked intrigued, I also knew I needed to offer him more to prevent him from finding about the incident too soon. Biting back a sigh, I continued.

"Additionally, for the remainder of my stay here, I won't answer any questions about why they fear me. You'll have to figure that one out yourself by observing the other exorcists around us. If by, let's say the end of the week, you present me the correct reason and why, you'll get one reasonable favor from me. If I win, well, I highly doubt that, but… well, what are you willing to offer?" I didn't want to give him anything substantial to work with, but I knew I had to get him to play along _somehow_, so the favor it was. I could only hope it wasn't too embarrassing…

"Hm… interesting. When may we make these 'statements'? And who determines if the favor is reasonable?" he inquired, leaning forward in his chair.

"You can make a statement any time, though it's always one-for-one. And I determine if the favor is reasonable or not, though I'll try to at least give justification why if it isn't," I stated. He smiled widely.

"Very well, I'll offer a favor of my own in return as long as the same conditions apply to myself," he sang, glancing at me for approval. I nodded, and his grin only grew bigger. "Then let the games begin! I'll be a gentleman and allow you the first one, Airi-chan!" Shuffling a few completed papers into their own pile, I contemplated what I should ask. I felt like I'd just made a deal with the devil - if I asked confirmation for a serious claim, he would surely fire one back, yet all the the good statements were serious. The game would get there anyways though, so I resigned myself to my fate.

"You're a demon," I stated, careful to keep my tone light. "You have the fangs, pointed ears, and slit eyes that upper-level demons often have in Assiah." He fell into a fit of giggles, dropping his pen and taking a second to collect himself.

"Yes I am! Very good, Airi-chan," he said, though I couldn't get a good read on his emotions. "Most exorcists I work with take ages to figure it out - rarely suspecting their own. How long have you known?"

"You know I dislike questions," I chided gently, "but I've known ever since you called me to the front of the meeting room. It's not that big of a deal, to be honest." His face lightened, and he tried his best to stifle even more laughter.

"Not a big deal? Really, what a strange exorcist you are, Airi-chan," he mused. "Though what's even stranger is that, knowing this, you thought it would be a good idea to play a game revolving around secrets with one." I bit the inside of my cheek, awkwardly looking to the side and fidgeting with my gloves.

"It's not though - humans and demons work together all the time: magic, tamers, and alliances against a common enemy… There's no reason why one can't be an exorcist too," I muttered. If anything, his laughter only grew more hysterical. Rolling my eyes, I went back to work as he collected himself.

"Truly a peculiar human, how delightful," he crooned. "Yes, how entertaining! Now… you, Airi-chan, use your magic when you fight to switch out your weapons. Your meisters - don't look at me like that, I still have the papers for all international transfers on this mission - are Knight and Dragoon, yet you don't carry a sword. This means you must summon one from a portal when you need it, though I would also venture a guess that you can do more with those little portals than just make pocket dimensions." I sighed.

"Really, Mephisto? That's a bit of a multi-parter there…" I said, trailing off. He shrugged.

"Yours was too, darling - you implied that I was an upper level demon," he quipped. "Though you weren't incorrect in that assumption."

"Touche, but you're right. I carry my swords, and a few rifles, in a pocket dimension for battle," I said. He _did_ have a point. "And yes, I can do more than just create pocket dimensions." He hummed before picking up his pen again and swiping a few more papers from the top of his stack.

"Intriguing… though I suppose I'll have to figure out what else you can do exactly by myself, won't I?" he mused.

"Yes, you will," I said, smirking. Looking down, I realized that I had already finished the papers I had grabbed from his desk earlier. "Ah - I seem to be done already. I'll pick up some more, give me a second-" His hand reached out, cutting me off.

"I've completed my stack as well. I haven't had breakfast yet though, so do you mind if I grab something to eat real quick?" he asked, and I shrugged, sitting back down.

"I don't mind one bit - you don't even have to ask," I rambled.

"Good," he chirped, quickly summoning a cup of instant ramen and a pot of hot water with a wave of his hand. As he prepared his meal (I've had ramen for breakfast before too, so I'm not one to judge), I realized that his magic was exceedingly familiar somehow… It was _very_ similar to mine. Sure, it was more refined - he didn't require portals to draw out objects - but it was certainly space magic. That also explained why his magic felt familiar too; all magic had a certain feel to it that experienced witches and wizards could pinpoint, and the feeling only got stronger and more precise if said magic was in the same domain as their own. I was disappointed that I didn't realize it earlier, actually. Demons and magic-users also exuded a magic aura, and his was, albeit difficult to get a read on, definitely one of the strongest I've ever felt by far, even with him obviously trying to hide most of it.

The three minutes for the ramen to warm up passed, and Mephisto began to slurp down his breakfast. I was still thinking about his magic - if he was a demon and used space magic, that meant he was a demon in the domain of the King of Time since space and time were sort of one continuous thing. Upper-level time demons… there were the grim reapers that enforced morinas contracts, but that was about it as far as humanoid ones went with the potential strong magic. There for very few kin to the King of Time too as he was the second strongest demon king (the stronger the king, the less kin they had under their direct command). Considering Mephisto was far too cheerful and wore far too much white to be a grim reaper, and that his aura could, theoretically, easily be on the level of a demon king when unrestrained, it could only mean-

"You're the Demon King of Time, Samael," I said, only belatedly realizing that I said it out loud. Mortified, I covered my mouth with my hands. _Shit._ For what it was worth, Mephisto's expression was rather comical as he choked on his ramen. Fuck me, I guess this was my statement now. "You admitted that you were an upper-level demon, and you have really strong time magic, even if you're trying to hide your aura. I would venture to guess that it could easily be on the level of a demon king's if unrestrained. You're obviously not a grim reaper, and their magic isn't as strong as yours, so by process of elimination, you're the King of Time." Unlike before when I'd surprised him, he didn't laugh. Instead, his face grew serious.

"You understand that that's _very_ classified, correct?" he said, eyes narrowing. And he was acting vaguely threatening now - wonderful.

"There's no need for that - this game is a personal thing, I won't tell anyone," I stated honestly. "Though I apologize for the brash assumption, it just slipped out. I hadn't meant to make that my statement." His green eyes seemed to look into my very soul, but eventually he nodded and looked away, leaving his ramen forgotten on his desk.

"You're telling the truth, surprisingly. Yes, I am Samael, King of Time," he stated evenly, a dark grin forming on his face. "But you may have just lost this little game of ours due to your justification - I'm almost certain that you have fought a demon king before. That's not my statement though, no… If we're going to talk magic, let's talk about yours. And your soul too, dear, while we're at it."

My stomach fell. _Fuck me sideways…_ he was onto me already, and I really didn't want to know what he had to say about my soul. Unfortunately, it was my fuck-up that landed me here, and I couldn't back out of the game that I'd established earlier, so I was firmly stuck listening to his ravings.

"First, this is all my justification, so don't bother denying any of it. You're magic is powerful, and considering it falls under my domain, I'm able to analyze it to a degree. It most certainly came from an enchanted object at first, though it has tied itself to _you_ far more intimately than what is usual in that scenario - this is due to your soul. Souls are… peculiar, and the concept is heavily tied to one's personality and magic, even if they haven't been truly categorized or understood by humans yet. Through your magic, I can see that yours seems a bit fractured, rough around the edges, if you will, and it is quite older than what is usual for someone your age. This all points to one cause, which coincidentally is my statement about you: you aren't _really_ Airi Kado. No, you're a reincarnated soul."

I stilled, momentarily forgetting to breath. He may not have gotten at what I was originally trying to hide, but _dammit_ he now knew my most personal secret, one I had never dared breathe to anyone.

"Yes, you're right," I whispered, trying my best to calm my shaking hands. He grinned ferally.

"Now, now, one truly worthy secret for another. That's fair, no?" he purred, and I could practically feel the room shrinking around me as my heartbeat sped up. "It wasn't that hard - though we're not quite even, for I don't know you're true name, darling." I took in a shaky breath.

"That wouldn't quite be fair - I still think you have the upper hand right now," I said evenly, firmly standing my ground even if it wasn't the brightest idea to do so at the moment. "I understand that true names mean a great deal in magic, and though I may know yours, plenty of other demons, and I would even venture to guess a small handful of humans, know it as well. I, on the other hand, have never told anyone else about my reincarnation, nor my true name. You already know more about me than anyone else in that respect." He stared at me, eyes narrowing. I refused to back down - I would die on this rock if I had to, dammit.

Eventually, Mephisto's eyes and lips began to twitch before he looked away, slowly but surely breaking down into a fit of incomprehensible laughter. I pinched my eyebrows. He'd laughed so many times since I became his secretary yesterday, and I didn't know if it was usual for him or if I was just that weird of a person. In his fit, he knocked his now-cold ramen off his desk, and I quickly threw a portal under it to prevent it from splattering across the carpet. I believe he noticed since I heard a brief "good save" between laughs, but I was rather unnerved as it took him quite a while to collect himself.

"I suppose you're right," he declared, still wheezing. "Though I had no clue that you'd be _this entertaining_, my dear Airi-chan! I would very much like - no, I _insist_ \- that you come back to Japan someday after this little mission is complete. A reincarnated soul - I never believed Lucifer about their existence, but now… I can see exactly why they intrigued him so." He pulled at his purple hair and gave me an appraising look, as if reassessing my value. Unfortunately, I could tell that this probably didn't speak well for my future.

At the very least, he didn't know what time period my soul was from, nor that this world was an anime and manga series over there. That would be… _problematic_ at best. I only berated myself more for forgetting so much about it; hell, I might not have even gotten in this situation to begin with if I had bothered to commit the damn thing to memory. Glancing at the clock, I realized that we had been talking for far longer than I had imagined - it was nearly noon.

"Mephisto, it's lunch time."

"I suppose so - though you're not going to use my new name that you went through all that trouble to attain?" he asked mockingly. A let out a light laugh, trying to ease the tension.

"I figured that would be a bad habit to get into, just in case someone walks in," I explained. "Though I feel bad about your ramen, so lunch will be my treat, if you're alright with that."

"Sounds wonderful," he said, smirking. "Considering how this round of 'statements' went, I believe it would be best to suspend them and the rules concerning them for the time being. The other bet, of course, is still on the table." I stood up, summoning my wallet and rolling my shoulders.

"Yeah, you're right. It'll prevent any more awkward situations," I agreed. "Although I doubt we have much else hidden away that could result in… whatever that was." Mephisto snorted.

"Oh dear, it was only a matter of secrecy, and now that I know you won't tell, both out of honesty and that I happen to have a rather interesting piece of collateral, there's no reason to be concerned about that." I rolled my eyes.

"Even if you're right, it still wasn't exactly what I would call a pleasant experience," I drawled, thinking back on how it seemed that one wrong word would result in… well, surely not a good outcome for me. "Anyways, do you know any good restaurants?" He chuckled, pulling on his white cloak and top hat.

"Yes, yes. I've also noticed humans like their food, so I'll make it a nice place - especially since you're footing the bill," he declared, walking over to the office door and holding it open for me. I walked through and waited as he locked the door. He was humming a song to himself, smile growing and more energy leaking into his steps as we left the building. He seemed very pleased with himself for whatever reason, and I brushed it off as simply the restaurant he decided to pick. Demons probably like food too.

As we walked over to wherever Mephisto decided to take me, I basked in the sunlight, contemplating these new developments. He wasn't going to kill me, which was… good, I suppose. After yesterday, I kind of wanted to be his friend, but I wasn't sure if that was still on the table. Although, getting on the bad side of the only person who knows I've been reincarnated isn't exactly the best idea either… Sighing, I resolved to play nice and see where it took me. If we somehow became friends after that, great. If not, playing nice would hopefully mediate any temptation to out me without any notice.

And I was so worried he'd be afraid of me too! That all seemed foolish now - he'd had the upper hand all along. Admittedly, with him being a demon king and all, Mephisto probably wouldn't fear me like the other exorcists did even if he did find out - and he most definitely would, considering how close he got to the truth earlier. It was all my fault too. If only I didn't blurt out that he was Samael and then didn't get so flustered about it…

Actually, the fact that he was the King of Time was rather concerning in its own right. Did the Vatican know about it? If so, I couldn't help but wonder what the story was behind him joining the Order - _that _must have been a pretty peculiar situation.

In all honesty, I probably should've been more worried for my safety, but I figured that worrying wouldn't really help much. It was best to just go with the flow at this point - if he wanted me dead, I couldn't put up a good fight anyways, as he had me completely outclassed. No use crying over spilled milk, you know?

"Here we are," Mephisto declared enthusiastically, stopping and gesturing to a tall building with elaborate slate stonework and large, arching windows. "This is a five-star steakhouse, so I sincerely hope you have enough on you!" Clicking my tongue, I followed him in. The waiter didn't even ask for a reservation once he saw Mephisto, immediately whisking us away to a small table for two in a secluded room at the back of the establishment.

Mephisto ordered first class wine with his meal, because of course he did. I decided that if I was going to be stuck here, I might as well enjoy it, so I got some too. Repeatedly, he kept ordering the most expensive things on the menu, presumably to irk me, but I stubbornly refused to comment. Eventually, we began to make small talk, and I gave up on withholding information about my family and personal life. He already knew about my darkest secret, so as long as it didn't have anything to do with the time period of my past life or the "incident," I answered honestly.

_"So, do you have any siblings?"_ Mephisto asked shortly after the main course arrived, sipping his wine. My lips quirked downwards.

_"No, not in this life,"_ I answered after checking that the waiter had left the room. _"I did have a younger brother my first time around, though. We got along well, better than most other siblings I knew. Not that we didn't fight - all siblings do - but most of out arguments were petty and ended quickly. What about you?"_

_"I'm the second oldest, though I'm closest with my youngest brother, Amaimon,"_ he replied. _"He can be quite a handful, especially considering he knows far too little about human customs. He_ is_ addicted to candy though, which can help if he gets too violent…"_ Mephisto then mumbled something I couldn't catch about _"hobgoblins," "a student,"_ and _"not in my academy."_ I was curious, but didn't want to push him to recall that experience to me if I didn't want to. Siblings could definitely be difficult at times.

After nearly two hours, the waiter brought out bill and I winced at the total. It translated to nearly five hundred dollars for everything, and there were only two of us. Mephisto sighed.

_"I do feel some sympathy for your wallet, so if you wish I can cover half of the total,"_ he offered, but I shook my head. I said I would pay for this meal, so I would damn well do it to keep my word, even if no spilled ramen was worth anywhere near that much.

_"I already said I would get it. Don't worry, I'll just use my credit card,"_ I said, flashing said piece of plastic before unceremoniously signing the bill and handing it off to the waiter. He brought my card back quickly, thanking us for coming before leading us out. Ducking into an alleyway and making sure no one else was around, Mephisto snapped his fingers and warped us back to his office, deciding that we had lost too much time at lunch to simply walk back. I wanted to say that it was his fault for continuing to order near endless desserts and wine after the main course, but I held my tongue.

Thankfully, the meal had eased a considerable amount of the awkwardness from earlier, and after picking up more paperwork, we were able to chat comfortably while chipping away at it. Honestly, if Lizzy told me this morning that I'd shell out five hundred dollars to have lunch with a demon king, I would've laughed.

Like yesterday, day turned into night and I was let go with the promise of coming back in the morning. When I got to the dorm, Lizzy texted me that she was on the night shift, so she wouldn't be back until one or two. Sighing, I pulled on some pajamas and went right to bed, not hungry after the extravagant lunch from earlier.

Some days, I questioned my sanity, and today was certainly one of them. Even more so because of the fact that, upon closing my eyes, I realized I had quite a bit of fun.

* * *

**AN: This was both really fun to write and very tough to do so. I really, really hope Mephisto wasn't too OOC - that was one of the main things I was worried about while writing this chapter. Funnily enough, this story is also accumulating a far larger word count that I expected. I also tried rewriting the summary since it wasn't that good, though I suppose that's what I get for writing it near midnight. Also, this story takes place in a weird mashup of anime and manga, so there will be some spoilers for both as it continues. Once again, I hope you enjoyed reading!**

**4/2/19 - Minor grammar edits, fixed some explanations to include more about magic for later. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: A Demonic Interlude**

I couldn't sleep. Or, rather, I couldn't sleep well.

It was an unintentional habit that had unfortunately followed me from my last life. Some days, no matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn't get my brain to settle down, regardless of how physically tired my body was. The result was me flipping around endlessly, fading in and out of consciousness for however long that night decided to last. The more I thought on it too, the worse it got - it was a vicious cycle.

Tension would leak into my shoulders, locking them up, before creeping its way up my neck and into my brain, causing a headache to form. A hot shower and consistent doses of painkillers throughout the day would help ease it up, and then maybe I'd be lucky enough to sleep well the next day. Maybe. Tonight, though, was one such instance, and little could be done at this stage.

Tossing and turning restlessly, I let out an annoyed growl. I wanted to be well-rested for the morning. If I had to fight Williams or any demons he may summon, I needed to have some sort of focus. Additionally, that bet with Mephisto was still running, and the more tired I was, the more prone I was to run my mouth. Well, either that or shut down any form of conversation entirely. Neither option was ideal, if I were to be honest.

I didn't want to bother Lizzy either, as she'd had to deal with that enough when she was my roommate in high school. I never snapped at her - I always tried to take my irritation out on inanimate objects if I had to at all - but I still felt bad about being curled up in the corner of the room, totally antisocial, at times like these. Well, repeated times like these. One bad night was common enough, I only really got externally moody when they stacked on top of each other for weeks or months at a time (though thankfully the later case had only happened a small handful of times across both lives).

I had actually been really lucky recently, as I'd been able to sleep well ever since my injury. Admittedly, that was probably more _because_ of it than anything else. Magical exhaustion coupled with the cost of my magic, my "time" in the form of extra hours unconscious or asleep, would surely put anyone out for a while. If anything, I should've expected one to crop up soon, now that I was mostly recovered.

I heard the door creak open, so I turned towards it and squinted. Ah, Lizzy was back. She smiled sheepishly at my blanket-covered form, softly shutting the door and closing off the blinding light from the hallway.

"Can't sleep again, huh?" she asked, sliding off her shoes and lazily throwing her black coat over one of the two desks near the windowsill. I let out a long sigh.

"Unfortunately. I don't think I'll be able to catch much more rest during the in-betweens either," I muttered. She yawned.

"Sucks for you, though I really need to get some shut-eye myself. It kinda stinks that we haven't been able to hang out much for most of this trip, stuck on different schedules and whatnot," she said, stretching her arms out above her head. I hummed.

"Yeah, there's no TV in here either so our plans to watch anime are shot too." Lizzy laughed.

"I know, right? We can't even really take a day trip to Tokyo since they have us working such tight shifts! Whatever though, it's still cool to be here. Guess that's what we get for going on a work trip, huh?" Lizzy mused, tossing on some fluffy, pink pajamas.

"I suppose… sleep well, alright? If I'm not going to be able to sleep either way, I'm going out for a run," I stated, rolling out of bed and summoning some clothes from a purple and black portal. I never really liked running in my old life, though I picked it up as a hobby some time in cram school in order to stay in shape and to ease my mind when I couldn't sleep. Lizzy grunted out a "goodnight" before promptly turning over, and I smiled. Classic Lizzy, at least one of us had our priorities straight.

Leaving the room and locking the door behind me, I blindly stumbled towards the communal bathrooms as my eyes adjusted to the hallway's lights. Thankfully, the hall was empty, and glancing at one of the analog clocks informed me that it was nearly three in the morning. Lizzy must've been up late talking with someone or eating dinner (or perhaps both).

The communal bathrooms were dead too, and I lazily tossed my own pajamas into a pocket dimension before throwing on my gray sweatpants, white socks and sneakers, and light blue T-shirt. I splashed a little water in my face to wake me up a bit more, but as I looked up to the mirror to tie my hair up, I tensed.

Black veins ran up and down my arms, standing out on the pale, uneven, and scarred skin. I winced as the memories resurfaced. _Burning, searing pain up and down my arms as I reached out towards the flaming figure of a person-_

I shook myself out of it. Right, this was why I didn't wear short sleeves anymore.

Clicking my tongue in irritation, I summoned a baggy, hoodless forest green sweatshirt and a pair of black leather gloves that had been practically glued to my hands since the incident. After putting them on, I looked back to the mirror, momentarily wincing at my red eyes before tying my golden hair up into a high ponytail.

I knew it would probably take a while for me to adjust to my new appearance. Thankfully, the doctors said that the black veins, at least, would fade over time.

Speaking of those veins, some could still be seen around the base of my neck (the burns didn't reach that far up - thanks for small mercies). Sighing, I summoned my green and gray Slytherin scarf and put it on. Once it successfully hid the marks to my liking, I clipped my exorcist pin to it and began my trek to the cafeteria. Hopefully I could grab myself a small breakfast. After all, I didn't know if there would be anything left when I got back, whenever that would be.

Eventually, I found my way to the aforementioned room. The cafeteria had several long, wooden tables running towards a counter, behind which were various appliances and shelves, and I couldn't help but be a bit shocked that it wasn't a human there cooking, but a demon. He was short, only a foot or two tall, with a tan face with reddish-purple ears and fur. I was a bit surprised, as I hadn't heard any of the other exorcists comment on it. Maybe they were all just too tired to care - after all, the food was laid out on the counter before every meal, restocking itself as necessary, so why take it for granted?

I _did_ finally have my answer for who was cooking for us though, and steeling my resolve, I made my way over to the demon as quietly as possible, still determined to get something and to thank him for cooking. Once I reached the counter, I spoke up.

_"Hello,"_ I greeted amiably. The demon jumped, startled, before putting the omelette he was making on simmer and turning to me, growling. _"I'm sorry to bother you, and I'm not here to hurt you or anything, I promise. I just came down to grab a snack before my morning run."_ The demon stared at me for a minute before nodding. He tossed the omelette he was making on a plate and then handed it to me. My face lit up.

_"Thank you for the food!"_ I beamed, grabbing some silverware from the stand next to the counter before sitting down. _"You've been cooking for us this whole time, haven't you? Thank you so much for that, the food you make is really delicious."_ The demon chirped happily at me and smiled before going back to work. I finished my food (egg, cheese, and bacon - a beautiful combination) and put my plate away in the dirty dish bin before thanking the cook once again and making my way out of the building. It was nearly four now, and it was still quite dark outside. As I closed the dorm's door behind me, I readied my mind to actually pay attention to where I was going so that I could find my way back. It was probably good to get a read on the town and memorize some of the main roads anyways, and in that way this run could serve another purpose other than to ease my restless mind.

Then, I took off running.

* * *

_Left, right, left, right._ My feet beat down on the pavement in a predictable pattern as I jogged. At some point, I had summoned my cassette player, headphones, and a mixtape that Lizzy had made me a while back (all 80s music or anime songs). Few people were milling about at this hour, and I had only seen two or three groups of exorcists and a small handful of runners on my trek. Hence I was very surprised when, upon closing my eyes briefly to enjoy smelling the cool morning air, I ran into someone.

He let out a cry, and both of us went sprawling across the sidewalk. My headphones fell off, but thankfully it and the player weren't broken, as I could still hear Journey's _Don't Stop Believin'_ softly escaping from them. I rubbed my neck before sitting up, an apology falling from my lips.

_"So sorry about that, I should've been watching where I was going."_ The person I ran into, a tired man with dark hair and hazel eyes, chuckled.

_"No, no - I should have been looking too. Are you alright?"_ he asked, standing up. I brushed myself off before doing the same. Glancing at his black coat, I could immediately tell that he was an exorcist, even if he was alone.

_"I'm Kado Airi, and you are? Where is your unit?"_ His eyes lit up in comprehension, finally realizing that I was an exorcist too as he momentarily stared at the pin resting on my scarf.

_"Todo Saburota. I got a little sidetracked and ended up lost, you see,"_ he said, softly laughing. His excuse was flimsy at best, but I decided not to push it. He probably just wanted to ditch the monotonous patrol for Williams.

_"Ah, yeah. I'm just on a morning run myself. Would you happen to know what time it is?"_ I asked, growing self-conscious. The sun was finally starting to peek out from behind some buildings, so I knew I had to get ready for my shift soon. I didn't have a watch or phone on me, unfortunately, and I didn't want to startle him by summoning one.

_"It's almost 6:30, Kado-san,"_ he stated, giving me a shaky smile. I grinned back.

_"Right, thanks. I should probably wrap up it up then,"_ I mused. _"See you around!"_ I waved as I ran off, and he, though confused, waved back. Once he was out of sight, I sighed. I hadn't realized it was so late - I had to get back soon, or else I wouldn't have enough time to shower. I could have just warped back, but I wanted to make sure that this run had been at least useful in letting me get a lay of the land.

Looking down the slope of the town, I saw that cutting through the park would be the quickest way back to the dorm from where I was at now. Double checking briefly before committing the path to memory (this was a really good vantage point, now that I thought about it - I'd have to use the varying elevations of the town to my advantage in the future), I bolted down the hill towards said park, only slowing myself enough so that I wouldn't fall.

Once I reached its edge though, I noticed something was off. The air was humming with a distinctly earthy and buggy aura - the presence of demons. Sighing, I knew I couldn't just finish my run in peace. No, they could go bother other exorcists or civilians, so I had to confront them now that I knew they were here and possibly hostile. I summoned a pistol, grateful that I kept a few extra in a pocket dimension, and carefully stalked towards their presence at the heart of the park. Finally, I found them, though I wasn't the first to do so.

A trio exorcists were already there, fighting a large swarm of chuchi over a small decorative pond with lily pads scattered about its edges. They were also fending off three adult greenmen and one enormous chuchi, nearly the size or a car, which was obviously the leader. The group didn't really have the situation under control, as they were frantic and becoming scattered as large swarms of the smaller blood-sucking moths rushed at them. Sighing, I pocketed the pistol and pulled out a small flamethrower (it's not _that_ weird - they're really useful for small swarming insect or rot demons, just impractical for most to carry around regularly) from a portal and aimed it at one of the swarms, firing when they began their rush as one of the poor exorcists who managed to run out of ammo. He looked up at me, stunned.

_"Need some help there?"_ I asked with a grin, tossing him the flamethrower. I then flicked my wrist and summoned two more, one for each remaining exorcist in the group.

_"T-Thank you,"_ a brunette man stuttered out, catching his flamethrower with only a hint of surprise before going at the smaller chuchi with it. _"We sent someone to call for backup, and they should be here at any moment, but we were starting to get overwhelmed… we're Doctors and Dragoons though, and Dragoons aren't really suited for such small targets. With all of them fluttering about, we can't really see well enough to aim well at the larger ones either…"_ I rolled my shoulders, loosening them up as the group began chipping away at the moths.

_"Ah, makes sense - I'm a Knight, so I'll deal with the chuchi's leader and the greenmen if you three can keep the swarms off my back,"_ I said, looking to them for confirmation. They all nodded, even if one was a bit hesitant, and I took that as my cue to draw out one of my swords, a saber with a gold and black hilt, the blade engraved with demon-slaying runes. I held it in left hand while summoning a few barrier tags from a portal and catching them with my right.

Tossing the barrier tags (heavy-duty paper with runic circles drawn on them) around the group to block the smaller chuchi from getting all up in their personal space again, I ran at two of the greenmen, who seemed to be working together from their close proximity and the fact that they kept chirping at each other. The one on the left was slightly taller and had a more wide-brimmed plant hat than the one on the right, who was more flowers than vines.

The flowery one didn't seem to like me running at it with a pointy piece of metal, and objected quite violently by growing a bunch of tree roots at me from its chest. Instead of facing it head on, my eyes glanced to above its head. Then, I called forward a portal both there and in front of me, lunging forward.

I slipped through the portal easily, warping to above the greenman. I fell onto it, my sword sliding through its vine-like head as seamlessly as a knife through butter. I kicked off of it before it dissolved completely, swinging my saber at the one with the hat, cutting it easily in two. Once I hit the ground, I rolled to disperse some of the force since it was a pretty big fall. Glancing back to the group with the flamethrowers, I noticed that though they had cleaned up at least half of the swarm, the large chuchi was now targeting them, repeatedly ramming headfirst into the barrier I had set up.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. That barrier wasn't meant to protect from so much blunt force, so it was a miracle it had lasted as long as it did. The third greenman was now charging me from the treeline, noticing that I'd already exercised its kin, but I knew that I had to get the big chuchi off the others or else they'd have a problematic situation on their hands.

So I did the only thing I could, narrowly dodging the charging greenman before jumping feet-first into another portal.

* * *

Mephisto was expecting many things to happen today. He knew that some mid-level demons would attack the park this morning, summoned by Williams from inside the barrier. He also knew, or _thought_ that he knew, that they would be defeated rather quickly by an exorcist named Greg Sullivan, who would stand up and take charge of the rookies he was paired up with.

That, though, didn't happen. No, instead he got a frantic phone call from some rookie exorcist about how they currently had no way to deal with the swarming chuchi and needed backup immediately. It was rather pathetic in his opinion, since a good Aria like Sullivan could easily ward them off.

But then he remembered he didn't _get_ Sullivan for this mission - he got Kado and a more eccentric Morrigan than usual instead. Irregularities like that weren't good signs. Interesting as they were, it meant something could go horribly off the rails later, which was why he had picked one of the two to be his secretary that week. He'd wanted to see if they were a threat, and he only chose Kado over Morrigan because her magic felt so familiar. The fact that they all shared a similar interest in anime, and that Kado could actually hold a decent conversation with him, was only a bonus.

Actually, with Sullivan out of the picture (and presumably dead, even if he didn't know that for sure - he should probably ask about that, shouldn't he?), it was surprising that Williams had even made it to Japan like he had in the other timelines. This relatively mundane mission, only notable for drawing more attention to the Illuminati, was becoming unpredictable, and fast. And though Mephisto thrived on unpredictable outcomes - they were _always_ the most entertaining - it was a bit concerning because some things he just expected to pan out without his direct interference. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't rely on that in this case. No, he couldn't take any chances.

It was this train of thought that lead him to sigh, order a few exorcists to come with him, and go to the scene himself. It would take more time out of his day (and wasn't it ironic that the King of Time lacked that very thing most days), but it had to be done.

The one outcome he could say for certain that he wasn't expecting, though, was seeing his temporary secretary emerging from a purple and black portal in the sky, letting out a battle cry as she jump-kicked a giant chuchi in the face. Mephisto smirked.

Though unexpected and unpredictable Airi-chan may be, she was only more curious and entertaining because of it. Humans could be so _very_ peculiar sometimes.

* * *

After kicking the chuchi, I whipped my sword around and cut it in half, dispelling it almost instantly. The original group of exorcists, along with Mephisto and a backup pair that had just shown up, gave me weird looks. What? Battle cries were awesome, and I just get carried away in the thrill of the fight sometimes, okay?

...Honestly, I probably only did that because I was tired. My mind to mouth filter often goes on the fritz when I'm like that.

Instead of justifying myself to them though, I resolved not to care too much about what they thought. Turning to the last greenman, who had finally noticed where I had warped to, I drew my pistol from earlier and shot it a few times. It groaned before dissolving into dust. The brunette man from earlier whistled.

_"Damn, remind me not to get on your bad side!"_ he cheered, grinning. _"That was pretty badass, lady. I'm assuming you want your flamethrowers and barrier tags back or…?"_ I laughed.

_"Yeah, I'd like that. Just toss them in here,"_ I said, opening up a portal in front of the group with a flick of my wrist. They hesitantly dropped them in, surprised when they disappeared even though they had seen the portals in action earlier.

_"That's pretty cool, honestly. Thank you so much for the help back there!"_ he exclaimed.

_"Ah, it's fine - I was just on a morning run, and I couldn't just leave after noticing the presence of demons,"_ I stated, awkwardly smiling and rubbing my neck.

_"Yes, yes, it was excellent that our backup group was unnecessary,"_ Mephisto began, walking up to us while twirling a pink umbrella with an ice cream handle, _"but the demons had to get in here somehow. Did any of you notice any suspicious behavior or people out of place before this?"_ I paused, remembering Todo on my way over here. Before I could comment though, a woman with red glasses spoke up.

_"Yes, actually. A civilian walking her dog noticed someone acting suspicious in the park and called it in. From her description, it was probably Williams,"_ she reported, fidgeting with the exorcist pin on her coat. Ah, that made a lot of sense, Todo probably wasn't connected then. I sighed, putting away my saber and pistol after realizing that I was still holding onto them.

_"And there you have it! Well, what are you waiting for?"_ Mephisto declared, gesturing at us. _"Call in more teams to scout the area. He's probably gotten away already, but it can't hurt to be safe. Oh, and Miss Kado? Please go get ready for work. However fortunate it was that you were able to help, I still expect you to be in the office on time."_ I winced as the other exorcists took out their phones and began to secure the area. Ah, work - shit, what time was it?

_"Right - see you then?"_ I said, though it came out as more of a question than a statement. I turned to run down the path on the edge if the pond, but I was stopped by a purple-gloved hand resting on my shoulder. I looked back, and it was Mephisto.

_"The girl's dorms are over there,"_ he deadpanned, pointing down a forest trail. I paused, brows knitting in confusion before realizing that I was indeed lost.

_"Oh… thanks for that, then,"_ I muttered before running down the path he suggested, face red. I should've paid more attention to where I was going, though in my defense, I was far more focused on the demons than where exactly I was ever since I entered the park.

Whatever, it was fine. I summoned a watch and glanced at it, noting that it was only just past seven. I had plenty of time to shower and grab a change of clothes, even with the ridiculous lines and that little detour. Yeah, everything would work itself out.

* * *

I had finally collected myself, my grumpy, awkward, and sleepy state fading with a hot shower. After tossing on a turtleneck sweater (a staple of my wardrobe these days), a new pair of leather gloves, skinny jeans, my knee-high boots, and my black trench coat, I put on a little makeup and tossed my hair up in a bun. Thankfully, I was going to make it a bit early today, even with the whole run and demons in the park thing. Ensuring that I had my knives and pistols on me, I stretched my arms out behind my head and haphazardly fiddled with the key to Mephisto's office.

My lips quirked up into a small smile as I approached the exit of the dorm. I could only wonder if today would be as eventful as the last, but then again, there was no time like the present to find out. I put the key into the door and twisted it, walking into the office.

Nothing could've prepared me for what I saw - the _freakin' Paladin_, the strongest exorcist _in the world_, was holding two babies, one with brown hair and one with black, yelling exasperatedly at Mephisto while the man in question was sitting on his desk, legs crossed. Neither had noticed that I'd entered the room, so I just closed the door behind me as quietly as possible and stood at attention in front of it, awkwardly waiting.

_"C'mon, Mephisto - it's just for one day!"_ the Paladin pleaded, the black-haired baby pulling on his glasses chain._ "Hell, even less than that - three hours at most."_ Mephisto chuckled.

_"Really, Shiro - I'm not a babysitter. According to our terms, _you_ had to raise them, correct? I have no obligation to assist you in your time of need,"_ Mephisto declared, sitting back and shrugging. I couldn't help but be curious as to what he was referring to, though I knew I'd probably never get an answer to that. After all, it wasn't really my business. The Paladin groaned, and the brown-haired one started to whine.

_"You know the twins can't be seen by the Order. Like I said, they'll just be performing a routine check at the monastery, and it shouldn't take too long - I'll be right back as soon as they leave."_

Oh… if it was something he was trying to hide from the Order, I really shouldn't be here, should I? Damn, it's not like I could just open the door and walk out before they noticed me. Though if they were this engrossed in their debacle, it may be the best course of action…

As I made my move to leave, Mephisto's gaze met mine, smirking like the cat that caught the canary. Well, there goes any chance of escape.

_"Airi-chan, you should've said something earlier!"_ the purple-haired main purred. The Paladin's gaze snapped to me, panic thinly veiled in his red eyes, obviously wondering just how much I overheard. _"You have no issues keeping this conversation…_ discrete, _correct? And since I'm such a busy demon, being the principal of a school and all, you wouldn't mind watching over the little ones, would you?"_ It occurred to me that, considering Mephisto had no intention of helping the Paladin earlier, he probably threw this responsibility on me for the sole purpose of making me suffer. Technically, I could refuse, but… I didn't really want the Paladin on my bad side. At least I wasn't as scared of small children as I had been in my previous life, though that was mostly due to my new aunt forcing me to watch hers as a teen.

_"Yeah, I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear any of that - above my pay grade,"_ I joked lightly, attempting to appease the red-eyed man. _"Besides, they're babies - I doubt they could do much damage. And I don't mind watching them either, as long as I don't have to do any of_ that_ while I do it,"_ I added, gesturing to the tower of papers with a shudder. It had rejuvenated itself overnight, growing to nearly five times its size from yesterday, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Paperwork was the worst nightmare of most exorcists that I knew, which was pretty ironic since we fought actual demons on a daily basis.

_"Yeah, they're mostly harmless,"_ the Paladin said, giving me a strained smile. _"My name is Fujimoto Shiro. The brown-haired one's Okumura Yukio and the black-haired one's Okumura Rin. I'm so sorry for troubling you, and thank you for agreeing to keep quiet about this."_ I rubbed my neck, awkwardly smiling back. Those names sounded really familiar again… they were probably characters in the anime - wait, wasn't Rin the protagonist? Ah, that's an issue for later. I was pleasantly surprised though that Fujimoto was so laid-back, not pulling rank on me and forcing me to comply.

_"I'm Kado Airi, and it's not that big of a deal, sir. You probably have a lot to deal with, being the Paladin and all, so if I can help even a little while avoiding some of Mephisto's dreaded paperwork, I don't really mind,"_ I admitted. That and the fact that whatever he's hiding can't be as drastic as the whole 'Mephisto is a Demon King' debacle from yesterday. The Paladin secretly having two kids pales in comparison, honestly.

_"Hey, I never said you could get out of doing paperwork…"_ Mephisto said, frowning slightly. Fujimoto laughed.

_"Let the girl off the hook, Mephisto. If she wants to be bribed with no paperwork for a few hours, that's not really a steep price,"_ he said, walking over to me. Mephisto sighed, muttering _"fine"_ under his breath.

_"It's not really a bribe, I just don't want to do it…"_ I mused. Mephisto twitched, annoyed, and the Paladin smiled.

_"All the better - anything they may need is in the bag or their carriers by the couch. There are some toys in there too, so that should keep them occupied. Thank you so much, Kado-san,"_ he said._ "I have to go now, but I'll be back soon. And Mephisto? Please don't give them any candy."_ The demon in question placed a hand on his heart and leaned back in mock hurt.

_"Me, sugar up the children so that they'll be bouncing off the walls when you get back? Why, I would never!"_ he exclaimed, and I stifled a chuckle. Fujimoto rolled his eyes.

_"Whatever makes you sleep at night,"_ he muttered, handing me the two children. _"See you!"_ Fujimoto then took out a key from his pocket, leaving from the office door and presumably going back to the monastery he ran. The brown-haired one, Yukio, looked ready to cry at his father's departure while the other twin, Rin, was pawing away at my cheek. I began rocking them, humming a random song (_The Final Countdown_ by Queen), in an attempt to prevent Yukio from bursting into tears. As I shifted them in my arms though, my hand brushed by Rin's face and his teeth clamped down violently on my hand. Thankfully, with the gloves it didn't hurt much, but-

"Mephisto, Rin is biting me."

"I noticed," Mephisto said, smirking in amusement. He finally hopped down from his desk, pulling up his chair to start chipping away at his stack of papers. "Have fun with that for… three more hours, was it?"

At his comment, Yukio burst into tears. And unfortunately for me, Rin, sensing his brother's distress, thought it'd be a great idea to scream his lungs out. Loudly. Right in my ear.

...Well, at least he wasn't biting me anymore.

* * *

I was able to get the twins to calm down. Mephisto was no help, only grinning to himself like a maniac while I struggled to appease them, frantically giving them every toy in the bag in hopes that they'd just stop screaming. He really did enjoy my suffering, but that really wasn't a surprise at this point.

Eventually, the pair decided the wooden blocks were more entertaining than attacking my sanity, and they'd been relatively quiet ever since. I was still watching them like a hawk though, just in case. Once I was certain they wouldn't start crying again, I began talking to the twins and spelling out words for them, even going so far as to summon a toy train set I had stored away in a pocket dimension from back when I had to keep an eye on my cousins. Rin eagerly began rolling the trains around while Yukio began piecing a track together. When they weren't crying they were really cute kids - though that could be said for most children, I suppose.

After a while, I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head, so I glanced back at Mephisto questioningly. Noticing my gaze, he pushed his paperwork aside and sighed.

"Airi-chan, why were you out running this morning?" he inquired. I shrugged, making sure to keep an eye out on the kids.

"I went to go clear my head - I couldn't really sleep all that well last night," I explained. "It helps, and it's sort of routine for me to do so on a bad night." He hummed, turning back to his papers.

"I see… unfortunately, they didn't catch Williams after the park incident, so we're at a dead end," he mused, idly flipping through a few pages. I stilled, remembering how suspicious Todo was. Considering how close he was to the park, I decided to tell the demon about him, even if it was probably nothing.

"Actually, I forgot to mention this earlier, but I saw another exorcist right before I cut through the park. He was at at the street level above and without his unit. I wasn't looking where I was going and ran right into him - I think he said his name was Todo," I stated. Mephisto stilled, eyes lighting up in comprehension. Of _what_, though, I didn't know, and I was just about to ask him what he was thinking when he spoke up.

"What made you decide to become an exorcist, dear?" he asked, and I glanced at him in confusion. I didn't really see how this related to the topic at hand, but I decided to humor him anyways.

"I've been able to see demons ever since I was born, so I've always known about exorcists and the Order," I began. Mephisto leaned forward, curious. "My father could see them too, coming from a family of exorcists himself, so he knew what I was going through. I didn't become an exorcist for him though, he never pushed me to do so - quite the opposite, actually. No, I chose it myself - at first for the adrenaline, the joy of the fight… it's terrifying _fun_, narrowly dodging and averting blows in an all-out brawl. And helping others along the way makes it all the better, you know? But I mostly stuck with it because it's a job I sincerely enjoy doing, and I didn't have the luxury of picking something I liked in my last life. What about you - why would a Demon King become an exorcist?"

"That, my dear Airi-chan," he started, smile turning mischievous, "is something you'll have to find out for yourself!" I groaned, feeling a bit cheated. Suddenly, the door flew open. I frowned, thinking it was probably someone coming in to give an update on the Williams case. _How will we hide the twins?_ Thankfully, it didn't come to that as it was just Fujimoto again. The time really flew by - either that, or the twins were crying for far longer than I originally thought (or maybe I was genuinely having fun - not that I'd ever admit it).

_"Shiro, there you are!"_ Mephisto exclaimed, grinning. Fujimoto sighed, running a hand through his silver hair.

_"Sorry 'bout that, it took a bit longer than I thought. How were the twins?"_ he asked, and Mephisto chuckled.

_"Oh, absolutely_ demonic_! They cried for at least an hour,"_ the purple-haired man declared, and Fujimoto glared at him. It wasn't that bad… but maybe the crying from earlier unnerved Mephisto more than I thought. Though considering the statement was rather pointed, did it have another meaning? Knowing Mephisto, they most definitely did. The kids were probably at least half-demon, not that I had any problem with that. That actually seemed like something familiar… a plot point?

_"I'm sorry, I tried my best - they did quiet down eventually though,"_ I said, gesturing towards the twins who were still playing with the blocks and train set. Rin looked up and, upon seeing Fujimoto, let out a happy cry and began crawling over to him. Yukio followed behind his brother after a second or two. Fujimoto sighed.

_"It's alright, they don't really like being separated from me, as you could probably tell. Again, thank you so much for looking after them,"_ the Paladin said. Mephisto laughed.

_"I noticed, I think the crying was the first hint,"_ he quipped. Fujimoto rubbed his temples, walking over to the couch to pick up the carriers and his bag.

_"...I wasn't talking to you, Mephisto. You probably just laughed at Kado-san's misery from your desk the whole time."_ I withheld any commentary, mildly amused. He didn't outright laugh at me, but he did come close a few times. Fujimoto smiled as he picked up the kids and deposited them in the carriers, and I helped him put the blocks away. Mephisto just shrugged.

_"Well, thanks again, Kado-san. Have a good day!"_ Fujimoto said, taking his leave. Mephisto smirked.

"Eventful as that was, the twins are gone now… so it's time for you to get back to paperwork, Airi-chan!" he crooned, gesturing to the offending stack. I sighed, resigning myself to my fate and grabbing a stack. Today was going be a long day.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was interesting to write, though I'm uncertain if the style meshes well with the other two chapters or not. I think it's okay but… I have an issue where my writing style can change drastically depending on how I'm feeling. It's kind of weird haha, though I'm probably just overthinking it. Also, a lot more canon characters were introduced here, so I can only hope it went alright. This is very much a transition chapter, setting up things for both short-term and long-term, including a more definite time period, if the 90s anime didn't give it away earlier. Eventually this story will work its way to present day though. Hope you enjoyed reading, and have a great day!**

**3/7/19 - Grammar and some content edits, scene with twins and Fujimoto is different (realized in old draft that Airi was slightly out of character just enough to warrant changing).**

**4/2/19 - More grammar edits.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: That Secret Revealed**

I was right, by the way - it was a long day, mostly because Mephisto made me do the remaining paperwork all by myself. He just took out a _Game Boy_ and played _Super Mario Land _the whole time. He claimed it was only fair, and that if I got to relax for three hours, then he could do the same. Normally, I would argue that playing video games is far more relaxing than babysitting, but I didn't particularly feel like fighting him on it.

The rest of the week flew by in a flurry of conversations and paperwork. Lizzy and I had managed to sneak in a lunch break together, and I was able to take her to an anime collectibles store that Mephisto had recommended. We had a lot of fun, and she picked up a Sailor Venus figurine to take home with her.

Unfortunately, Williams hadn't been sighted since the altercation in the park, and I was growing a bit worried. The Kyoto Branch had people guarding the major shrines in the area dedicated to kitsune, so at the very least I knew that Williams couldn't have gotten his hands on the demon he wanted yet, but him being strangely absent wasn't doing much for my nerves. It was weird since Williams was never the best at stealth missions. Now, he wasn't the worst (that honor goes to someone from the fourth floor), but he wasn't particularly good at them either. At this point, it was rather obvious that Williams was getting some outside help.

I wasn't having any luck getting a solid night's sleep either, and I was becoming a bit spacey at times as a result. I think I may have weirded Mephisto and Yamato out in the cafeteria when, after we walked by a spilled ketchup bottle while investigating a noise complaint, I whispered "a murder most foul." Yamato actually looked less concerned than Mephisto, though that may be because he was hanging out with Lizzy quite a bit. They ended up pairing with each other for the patrols and had become fast friends. My headaches were getting pretty bad too, so I was downing painkillers every four hours or so throughout the days. It was getting to the point where it was difficult to keep a train of thought running for more than a minute or two at a time, and I was really hoping I wouldn't be unlucky enough to have to fight a demon anytime soon (a weird wish for an exorcist, but still).

On a lighter note, Mephisto was no closer to figuring out the incident. He knew that I fought a demon king, one that obviously wasn't him, but he had to provide _evidence _for any guess he may make, and he only had one shot to get it right. Watching him grow twitchier and more and more desperate was strangely satisfying. Additionally, he even tried to interrogate some exorcists right in front of me a few times to no avail, and it was hilarious (not that I'd dare to say that out loud).

During my seventh day in Japan, and the sixth day of the running bet, Mephisto was exceptionally twitchy - well, twitchy for _him_. He did hide it rather well, but my parents this time around had ensured that I was able to pick up on body language and subtle tells (I was exceptionally good at it, surprisingly - though, like with most things, I got worse at it when the headaches got bad). In his case, it meant slightly more unnerving smiles than usual, a distracted glint in his eye, and strained shoulders. I pitied him a little bit. He was so close yet had no real way of reaching the finish line. Mephisto seemed like the type to hate losing too.

Sighing, I decided to be nice. I offered to finish up the day's remaining paperwork, since there wasn't all that much left, and told him that he should just relax and play a video game or something. He jumped on the offer, quickly summoning his _Game Boy _in a puff of pink smoke. He leaned back in his chair, plopping his feet up on the corner of his desk and turning on the system. I belatedly noticed that the cartridge was red, and as the familiar jingle started up, my heart clenched.

_Pokemon _was one of my favorite franchises in my first life, so seeing someone else playing it was rather nostalgic. I smiled, despite noting that my headache had suddenly taken a sharp turn for the worse. Rubbing my temples, I summoned another painkiller and downed it with a glass of water. Twirling my pen a few times, I attempted to clear my head and went back to the monotonous papers. A few hours later though, my concentration was interrupted.

"Verdammt! Crit hacks, I swear - that'll cost me the run," Mephisto scowled, irritated. I looked up from my papers, lips twitching into a small smile.

"Ah, you're doing a challenge run or something? What happened?" I asked idly, still a bit spacey from lack of sleep. Having tried my hand at speedruns and nuzlockes on my own copy, in both lives nonetheless, I could relate to his frustration.

"Lance killed Jupiter, my Raichu…" he muttered, still irritated. He ran his right hand through his purple hair. "And since it's a nuzlocke I can't exactly heal her." He tensed up a little as the words left his mouth, but I was too tired to notice and merely hummed, stifling a yawn before replying.

"Yeah, I'm assuming you have both Gary's Gyarados and Pidgeot left to deal with then? Gyarados especially can be a real pain if you're too under-leveled due to its Hydro Pump attack. I'm sorry for your loss," I rambled, nodding in sympathy. He paused.

"You… know what a nuzlocke is?" he asked, perplexed. I shrugged, a little too tired to catch why this was an issue.

"Yeah, I've done them before myself - the first one I beat was in _Ultra Moon_…" I trailed off when I noticed Mephisto looking startled for a second before switching over to an ecstatic smile. I was confused for a second, what- oh. _Oh. _

That game hasn't come out until yet, has it? And the first nuzlocke ever done was in _Pokemon Emerald_, which wasn't out yet either… _Fuck_, I knew something like this would happen. I broke my internal promise not to let the time period of my past life slip, only being able to keep it for a measly six days. Just _great _\- this is why I need sleep, dammit. Mephisto put down his game and stood up, slamming his hands down on his desk and leaning forwards, green eyes sparkling.

"Airi-chan, why didn't you tell me you came from the future? Or was it a parallel timeline, rather - either way, this is great! I can talk about 2000s anime with you now, as I don't have to worry about spoiling anything! Some of those are my favorite, and I hate having to wait for humans to make them before I can talk about them with others," he exclaimed. I paused, this was certainly not the reaction I was expecting.

"Wait for them to be made? Why would you even know about… King of Time, right. You can probably time travel or something like that, can't you?" I mused, and he nodded. Ah, that had… concerning implications, didn't it? Though admittedly I was a bit envious…

"Correct, Airi-chan! It's not that unusual for reincarnated souls to be misplaced in time either, or at least from what little I've heard about them, so I really should have asked you about it earlier. For you to come from the near future… It's absolutely wonderful!" he said, gesturing dramatically. I smiled softly. It was nice to know that there were others like me at some point. Besides, he _was_ correct earlier - there were a lot of anime from my first life that I longed to talk to someone about and plenty of sly references to future properties that Lizzy couldn't understand. Since Mephisto knew about stuff like that too, well… that certainly opened more conversation topics.

"I can't exactly go about advertising that, can I?" I noted, smirking. He chuckled.

"Dear, as you said, I'm the King of Time - you would've slipped up and I would've caught it eventually. You're just filled with secrets, aren't you?" he mused, and I let out a short laugh.

"You've know pretty much all the big ones at this point, even if you haven't quite caught the one you initially set your eyes on," I admitted. "Though I would appreciate if you didn't spoil anything from 2019 and onwards, I kind of kicked the bucket before I got to that point." I _really _didn't want any _Avengers: Endgame _spoilers; I was determined to live long enough to see it for myself on the big screen. Mephisto grinned.

"Of course, milady. What kind of gentlemen would I be if I gave away spoilers unprompted?" he agreed, bowing dramatically. I supposed if someone had to know the time period of my past life, Mephisto at least could relate to my struggles and provide interesting commentary. The potential for inside jokes was immense too, and I was honestly quite happy with that. I doubted he'd tell anyone either, as he too knew more than what he was supposed to about the future. I smiled, finishing up the last paper of the day.

"You should still try to keep going in that nuzlocke though. Even if you don't win, you're almost at the end - it'd be a shame if you left it off there," I commented, and Mephisto smiled back.

"You're right, you're right… do you want to watch? A break would be nice, don't you think?" he offered. I accepted, tossing my pen into a portal and walking over to him. He stood up and sat down on his desk, leaving his chair open. I looked up at him questioningly. "You should take the chair - I'm not so cruel as to let you stand."

"I would feel bad for taking your spot. If you're not opposed to it, I could sit on the desk too. It'd be easier to see that way as well," I stated, and he paused a moment before nodding.

"Yes, that's fine. Just be careful not to knock anything over," he replied. I hummed in affirmation and sat down next to him, leaning over his shoulder a little as he picked the _Game Boy _back up and entered the champion's room.

It was a dramatic and tear-filled battle, but somehow, against all odds, he won. Barely, but still. We talked for quite a while afterwards, and I couldn't help but leave the office that day with a wide smile and a skip in my step.

* * *

The next morning, Mephisto was somehow even twitchier than the day before. Like usual, we began the day working on paperwork in his office, but by ten, he snapped - literally. He accidentally broke his pen in half, cursed a bit, and eventually made it disappear with a wave of his hand. Leaning back in his chair, he let out an annoyed growl.

"This mission is even more irritating than usual," he muttered, running a hand through his dark purple hair. I raised an eyebrow. A peculiar statement, but considering he could time travel…

"You've lived through this before then… what's bothering you? Specifically, I mean. I doubt I'd be able to help, but…" I rambled, shrugging and stifling a yawn. I was still rather tired, even if I'd been able to sleep a little better the night before. He sighed, glancing at me for a second before a look of resignation crossed his face.

"Usually - and I stress this, _usually _\- Williams has made his move by now. He should've been caught at around six this morning, give or take a few minutes. In a few outlying cases, he's been caught as late as eight, but it's never taken as long as it has today to find him. It's… concerning," he stated, standing up from his chair to pace the room. "This loop has been strange for a multitude of reasons, actually." I hummed, thoughtful.

"Why though? In theory, at least, things shouldn't change too much unless there's a direct cause," I said, twirling my gel pen. He sighed.

"Unfortunately, or fortunately in some instances, there's an aspect of probability to time, so not everything is truly predictable. Some events are near certainly set in stone, but others can change for no reason at all. It's… trying, to say the least," he began, glancing back at me. "I don't know if you're the cause of some of these changes, Airi-chan, but if you do exist in other worlds, you're probably not an exorcist. At the very least, l have never seen you on this mission before. It's not a bad thing - it's more intriguing than anything else - but considering how I've kept you in the office most of the time… it shouldn't have impacted the mission like this."

"So… bad luck compounded with my existence?" I asked, feeling a little bad I was inadvertently causing him so much grief. Mephisto sighed.

"No, no - there's another factor that did this, I believe. Greg Sullivan should've been on this mission, but he's not here. Originally, he was the traitor that helped Williams, but now…" he trailed off. My eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"But Greg is-"

"Stop!" Mephisto snapped, eyes flashing. "I… I don't want to hear it from you. There may be the slightest chance it has something to do with our bet, so I'd like to ask someone else about it, if you will." I held my hands up, a bit startled by his sudden change in tone.

"Ah… you care that much about the bet then?" I asked awkwardly, and he nodded, passing a gloved hand through his hair again.

"Sorry about that, but yes. I said I wouldn't ask questions regarding it, and since Sullivan is also from the Vancouver Branch, it may give me more information on which demon king you've fought," Mephisto said, sighing. "Besides, the bet will be up in a couple of hours… at noon, correct? There should still be time to catch Williams afterwards." I nodded. Earlier in the week, we set an exact end time for it so there would be no debate over who won if timing became an issue.

"I… I honestly don't think anything regarding Greg is relevant to the bet. If it makes you feel better, I can text Lizzy and see if she's willing to answer your questions about him - she should be in the dorms right now, so it shouldn't bother her," I started. "She's wanted to meet you ever since I mentioned that you were the one who recommended that shop anyways…" Mephisto chuckled.

"Are you sure? If you lose because of this, well…"

"It's my fault at that point, you know? It is what it is," I stated, shrugging. He nodded.

"Yes, that'd be great then," Mephisto said, taking a seat at his desk and leaning back with a sigh. Lips twitching into a small smile, I texted Lizzy. She replied instantaneously, saying that she was bored out of her mind and would love to pester another anime enthusiast, even if it was for work. I hadn't told her about the bet, so I could only hope she wouldn't be too weirded out about the upcoming questions. Telling Mephisto that she didn't mind, he waved me off to go collect her from the dorm to save time. Using the key I acquired earlier in the week, I warped over and found Lizzy in our dorm room. She grinned at me when I opened the door.

"Ari, my girl!" she exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. "I finally get to meet your tormentor! Or temporary boss, whatever. How did you convince him to let me bother you during work time?" Lizzy was wearing her exorcist coat, and her magic circles were practically overflowing from the pockets. I smiled as I shrugged her off.

"I didn't _convince _him, he just wanted to talk to you about something," I justified, and Lizzy laughed.

"Sure, and the moon is purple," she mused, and the pair of us began walking to the dorm's exit. "What's he gonna ask about anyways - if you're telling the truth, that is." I sighed, pulling out the key to Mephisto's office.

"He wants to know something about Greg, but for… reasons, he won't ask me," I said, feeling a bit bad that I couldn't tell her about the bet. She chuckled.

"That's a bit weird, looking for info on dead man, but whatever," she shrugged. "Maybe this'll turn into an episode of a crime drama or something." Rolling my eyes, I used the key on the dorm's main exit and walked through, Lizzy following behind me. I pulled the door shut, and Mephisto waved to greet us.

"_Welcome back, Airi-chan! And you must be Miss Morrigan, it's a pleasure to meet you!"_ he crooned. Lizzy waved, grinning.

"_Hello, boss-man. I hope you've been treating Ari well, or else we'll have some… issues,"_ she stated flippantly. I groaned.

"_Not this again, Lizzy… I told you, whatever you think of it yourself, paperwork is not inhumane,"_ I said. Mephisto laughed.

"_I beg to differ, but… that's not why we're here, is it?"_ he said, shrugging. Lizzy leaned back, hands behind her head.

"_Finally, someone who agrees with me! Still, you make Ari do it so… that doesn't put you in the best position, honestly. Anyways, you wanted to ask me about something?"_ the brunette inquired. Mephisto grinned.

"_Yes, yes. What do you know about a Canadian exorcist named Greg Sullivan?"_ he asked. Lizzy shrugged.

"_He's dead,"_ she stated, eyebrows knitting together. "_He was nice but… yeah, he's not really alive anymore. Why?" _

"_Not important, really,"_ he said, waving her off. "_How?"_ Lizzy shot me a look, and I gave her an apologetic smile.

"'_Not important, really,'"_ she parroted, ignoring me. "_You answer my question and I'll answer yours."_ I winced. Lizzy could be sassy at times, and even though I enjoyed hanging out with Mephisto, I still knew he could be dangerous. Sassing a demon king wasn't exactly a bright idea, even if she couldn't have known better. His grin grew dark.

"_Oh?"_ he let out, placing his elbows on the desk and resting his chin on his hands. "I_f you don't wish to cooperate, you can always leave." _Lizzy leaned forward, about to say something, but I grabbed her arm to hold her back.

"_Lizzy, please just answer him,_" I whispered. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I could practically hear her asking "why do you like hanging out with him again?" After a tense moment, she sighed.

"_Fine, fine…" _she muttered before turning to Mephisto. "_He was offed by a seraphim shortly before_ the incident. _He and his partner were coming back from an exorcism request and it came out of nowhere. He tried to run, but the thing just said 'those who smite our lord must die, especially those betray the all-seeing eye.' According to the survivor, anyways, but he was hysterical, so I dunno if you consider that reliable or not."_ I smiled awkwardly at her. I didn't know the part about his last words, actually, but considering she sometimes got stuck on the forensics team, it made sense that she'd know them. Especially since they were so… weird. Mephisto eyes narrowed. He must have caught something from them that I didn't. He spared a glance at me.

"_The 'incident' is referring to when you fought a demon king, correct? I would like a time frame, but I admit that would be pushing it,_" he mused, tilting his head to the side. "_Regardless, I have what I need - thank you, Miss Morrigan."_ Lizzy looked affronted.

"_You've spent the whole week with him and haven't said anything - damn, Ari! That's a bit cruel, you know?"_ she said, whipping around to face me. I shrugged.

"_Wasn't that the whole point of going to Japan, though? Not to be judged for that?"_ I asked. Lizzy sighed, bringing a hand to her face.

"_Yes, but I didn't think you were that dense! Sir Pheles probably won't care about any of that, considering he doesn't have much room to talk. We all know he can use some pretty strong magic too from that dog trick earlier, if somehow the teleportation didn't give it away,"_ she then turned back to Mephisto, gray eyes gleaming. "_And you, what do you mean by that? What did you get from those words? I'd like to know, frankly!" _I sighed. Talking like that to a branch manager... I questioned her self-preservation instincts sometimes. Mephisto's lips twitched upwards.

"_Nope,"_ he said, amused. _"I'm afraid that's above your pay grade, darling."_ Lizzy's eyebrows twitched and she reached for her magic circles. I grabbed her arm again, exasperated. I really didn't know why she took such an intense disliking to him, it must've been his personality since demonic heritage never bothered her in the past.

"_Really, Lizzy? It… it doesn't matter. Picking a fight now isn't a good idea, especially since he can use magic like you said,"_ I explained. Lizzy clicked her tongue, arm moving away from her pockets.

"_Fine, fine… but he's irritating, you know?"_ she said. I sighed, and Mephisto chuckled from his desk, amused at the whole exchange.

"_It's rather obvious if you have all the pieces. You, Miss Morrigan, must simply be not very bright. Really, a seraphim's 'lord' and an 'all-seeing eye' aren't exactly subtle expressions," _he mused, grin growing wider as Lizzy marched towards him angrily, clenching her fists. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch her this time so I gave up, deciding to let them fight it out.

"_Perhaps - a seraphim's 'lord' could only refer to a powerful summoner or the King of Light himself, but having to fight that demon king isn't something I'd wish on my worst enemies, especially considering how the fight against-"_

"_Lizzy, stop!" _I yelled, and she stilled, snapping out of it. "_Damn, that was close - you have to be more careful!" _She cursed under her breath.

"_You're right, you're right… he's probably been trying to rile me up from the beginning, sorry 'bout that,"_ Lizzy said, sighing and flopping down on the couch. I walked over and sat down next to her.

"_No, it's just fun to bother you - regardless, I now know that you didn't_ _fight Lucifer, Airi-chan, even if that was obvious from the beginning," _he admitted, shrugging. He was right, unfortunately. There was no way I'd be able to last a minute against the King of Light. Thinking back on the words Lizzy said though, I came to an epiphany.

"'_All-seeing eye?' I've heard that phrase before… Illuminati confirmed?" _I mused, not realizing that I said my thoughts aloud. Mephisto stilled, stuck between looking appalled and laughing at the reference, and Lizzy looked at me like I'd grown a third arm.

"_Illuminati?" _she asked, confused. I nodded.

"_The mythical organization whose pyramid-eye thing appears on the U.S. dollar. I didn't think it existed, but conspiracy theorists have been on about it for a while," _I justified, and Mephisto broke down into laughter.

"_Illuminati confirmed… Yes, yes, dear Airi-chan! You are exactly correct," _he exclaimed between laughs. Lizzy smirked.

"_What a bunch of losers if _conspiracy theorists_, of all things, led to their discovery," _she mused. Mephisto's laughter only grew more hysterical at this comment. "_Though I think I have heard of them, now that you mention it. Weird, right?" _I smiled, a little confused why Mephisto was laughing so much until I realized that Lucifer was technically his brother.

"_Yes, the pizza man and his eye posse are coming for our souls," _I deadpanned, and Lizzy gave me a weird look. Mephisto was looked up, confused. I hurried to explain. "_That pizza restaurant I took you too a while back in Chicago, Lizzy. _Lou Malnati's _sounds like Illuminati, so Illuminati's pizza? Pizza man leads the Illuminati!" _Lizzy let out a short laugh.

"_Weirdly long joke, but a little funny - either way, don't call Lucifer 'pizza man' to his face. I'd hate to have to wipe up whatever's left of you after he smacks you with a light beam for that," _she said, smiling. Mephisto bit back more laughter, grinning.

"_Oh, _please _call Lucifer 'pizza man' to his face, Airi-chan. It'd be hilarious!" _he declared. I smiled softly.

"_Either way, I'd rather not meet that particular demon king to begin with…" _I muttered. Mephisto grew serious.

"_Yes, about that - I'd appreciate if you two could please keep the Illuminati's existence a secret, we wouldn't want the other exorcists panicking. Those higher up on the chain of command know about it, but…" _he trailed off, shrugging. Lizzy and I nodded.

"_Of course, boss-man! I doubt anyone would believe us anyways," _Lizzy stated, relatively unbothered by the prospect of the King of Light in Assiah.

"_Yeah, I agree," _I replied. I could only hope that the Order had a good handle on the situation, for there wasn't much any individual could do against Lucifer, much less an entire organization ran by him. Mephisto nodded.

"_Good, good. Now-" _he was cut off by his cell phone ringing, and Lizzy smiled deviously as she recognized the ringtone. When Mephisto picked up the phone, the white-suited demon's eyes grew wide. Williams had been spotted. I summoned my saber, and Lizzy took out her magic circles. Mephisto grabbed his umbrella. "_Eins, zwei, drei!"_ With a snap of his fingers we appeared at the scene in a puff of pink smoke.

It was pure chaos. Fire - _burning red, bright red _\- was littered throughout the forest. Williams stood in front of an army of demons (including a variety of ghosts, salamanders, and ghouls), grinning maniacally. The most troublesome one he had, though, was a baby eastern dragon. Now, I say baby, but the dragon was easily two stories tall. I winced. Dragons were always a bit more irritating than your average demon for Knights and Dragoons due to their tough hides.

The two other exorcists at the scene were Vale and Yamato (the blue-haired man had to miss a patrol to administer punishment for the pages and thus had to make it up today, unluckily for him). Yamato had several naiads summoned to hold back the fire demons, since they could potentially cause the most damage to their surroundings, and Vale was chanting up a storm for the ghosts while unloading bullets into the ghouls. Unfortunately, they weren't making much progress. Though, to be fair, I didn't know that it was possible for Williams, nor anyone else, to hold up so many summons at once. He easily had over thirty. Mephisto pointed his umbrella upwards and sealed the surrounding area with a barrier so the demons couldn't get out into town, and Williams laughed.

"Come to deal with me yourself, Samael? I didn't think you had _time _for that," the blond man mused, laughing at his own terrible pun. "Though I'm rather annoyed at the guard you put on the kitsune I wanted." Lizzy stilled, finally realizing that she'd sassed a demon king earlier, and the purple-haired man's eyes grew cold.

"No, I don't need to do that - I'm sure these four will be able to take you on their own. You're not worth the effort," he declared, summoning a levitating chair and some tea. He then floated off to just above the tree line. "I think I'll just watch your defeat, it should be rather amusing." Williams laughed, and Vale twitched.

"'_Useful to have around,' that's bullshit," _Vale muttered, chocolate eyes glancing at Lizzy and I. "_You two, the dragon is a bit too tough for the naiads to keep back for long. Go take down it and Williams, if you please. We'll handle the the cleanup." _I nodded, grabbing some reinforcement tags and slapping them on the hilt of my sword. They increased its weight but also made it possible to cut through dragonhide. A worthy trade off, in this case. Williams smiled.

"Oh, Miss Kado - you know how beautiful fire is, don't you? Don't you love it, how the fire caresses your skin and burns away-" I whipped a knife at him. It grazed his cheek, certainly doing its job of shutting him up. I took out a pistol and began firing at him. After all, if a Tamer was hit, their summoned familiars would disperse. Lizzy broke out of her thoughts, looking at me in alarm.

"_Ari, don't do that! We need something to throw in a cell, dammit! Here, I'll handle Williams, you-" _she was cut off by the dragon's cry.

"_A little help!" _Yamato called as the creature lunged at him, wrapping him up with its long, snake-like body.

Lizzy swore, and I hopped through a portal and dug my blade into the dragon's back. It cried out in pain, writhing beneath me and letting Yamato go. Lizzy summoned a ghoul of her own, a headless horse with rotting flesh and a leather saddle, and hopped on its back. The duo galloped towards Williams, who hopped onto one of his salamanders. The two demons then began fighting for their masters, and I hacked away at the dragon's back. Yamato scurried over to Vale, and the naiads circled Vale and Yamato to protect them from any incoming attacks.

With a few more well-placed slices, the dragon was exorcised and I moved on the help the guys with the hoard of ghouls and ghosts. I couldn't exactly hit the ghosts, but my saber and pistols worked well enough on the ghouls. Yamato's naiads then held the line around him and Vale while Vale finished the chant to exorcise the ghosts. Once only a few salamanders and ghouls were left, half the naiads began focusing on putting out the fire while the rest focused on the remaining demons. Vale and I ran over to give Lizzy some backup. Williams was _way _tougher than he used to be, but Lizzy was holding her own. Vale, on the other hand, couldn't help muttering curses at Mephisto for doing jack shit to help us, and I was inclined to agree. We'd been fighting for nearly an hour straight, and we had only just begun to gain ground on Williams.

Lizzy couldn't keep up forever though, and she was looking a bit on the rough side. Cuts and bruises littered her body, and blood trailed down her face from a gash on her forehead. Williams wasn't looking too great either, but he had this look of crazed glee on his face that made looking right at him… unsettling. Williams had finally managed to knock Lizzy off her horse, and as he brought up a knife to stab her, I rushed into action. I warped over to him, twisting his arm behind his back with my right hand while slicing his salamander open with the saber in my left. He let out a cry as I shoved him to the ground, and Lizzy looked up, relieved. Vale ran over to us, slapping a pair of handcuffs covered in runes onto Williams that would prevent him from summoning any more demons.

"_Thanks for the save, Ari," _Lizzy said, smiling. I tried to smile back, but knowing how annoyed I was that Williams had dared try to kill her, it probably came out as more of a grimace. Yamato ran over too, finished with exorcising the rest of the demons lurking about, and Mephisto floated down on his pink armchair, hopping down and making it disappear with a snap of his fingers.

"_Kado - why are you with them? You know more than anyone else the sheer fun chaos that is brought upon in a true fight to the death, so why not bring that enjoyment to the rest of the world? Come join me in the Illuminati, Kado! Greg was there too, for a time. Besides… it's beautiful, isn't it? That fire you exorcists extinguished… it burned bright, didn't it?" _Williams asked, eyes expressing a crazed glee. I took a step back, startled, before narrowing my eyes at him. He was speaking Japanese, which meant-

"_No, it's not. Who's your accomplice? Someone had to give you that translation seal, right?"_ I asked, and he leaned back and laughed as Vale dragged him to his feet.

"_Oh, you'll find out someday, Kado. For now… Lady Iblis would love to see you again, don't you think? It's rude to leave a fight unfinished," _he mused, a spark in his blue eyes as he lunged for me, tearing out of Vale's grasp. I leaned back, narrowly dodging, and Mephisto grabbed Williams' wrist before making him disappear in a puff of pink smoke. I sighed in relief before remembering the bet, at which point I cursed and looked down at my watch. It was only five minutes before noon, and Mephisto knew. He smirked.

"_You fought Iblis, Williams said so," _he stated, amused. I sighed and nodded, accepting my loss. Yamato ran up to me, eyes sparkling in admiration.

"_Really? That's so cool! You have to tell me about it sometime, Kado-san! To think that an exorcist I know fought a demon king… amazing!" _he exclaimed, laughing. Vale rolled his eyes, and Lizzy poked Yamato's shoulder.

"_Hey, it's not exactly something she likes to talk about, so…" _she trailed off at the blue-haired man's look of hurt. I sighed.

"_Yeah, it's an awkward topic. Yamato, you've noticed that most Canadian exorcists ignore me, right? That's why, they're scared of me since I used magic to do so," _I admitted, shuffling my feet. "_And I really only stalled her out - I knew I couldn't win from the beginning. I barely made it out alive, to be completely honest." _

"_About that," _Vale started, "_even though you used dark magic to do so, I… I forgive you, Kado. And thank you. I hate to admit it, but without it… that forest fire with Iblis would've gotten even more out of hand than it already did. Besides, that type of magic… if souls do exist, you only hurt your own. At that point, it's your own choice. So, once again, thank you so, so much." _I stilled. Vale… well, I knew he had to be professional, but… he didn't hate me? Lizzy pulled me into a hug, and Yamato smiled.

"_I'm not scared of you either, Kado-san. You saved me from that dragon too, so I know you're not a bad person. It's okay," _he said awkwardly. I smiled back, and Lizzy let me go. Mephisto clapped idly in the background.

_"As heartfelt as this scene may be, we have more important matters to attend to,"_ he exclaimed, turning around and walking off. _"The paperwork regarding Williams' capture, for instance? Meet back at my office in an hour for debriefing, I'll call off the search. Until then, go get cleaned up - tracking blood and ichor everywhere isn't exactly ideal."_ Mephisto then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Lizzy groaned at the thought of paperwork, and Yamato and I sighed. Vale simply rolled his eyes, and the four of us carefully made our way back into town so we could find a door to warp to the dorms.

* * *

"_So the Illuminati exists. It's run by Lucifer, and Iblis is a part of it as well…" _Yamato mused. Mephisto nodded, continuing the debriefing session. The four of us had gotten a fresh pair of clothes, and I hadn't realized how badly mine were torn up until I peeled them off for a shower. The arms of my coat were cut up so bad that my burn scars were clearly on display. Hell, even if Williams hadn't told Mephisto that I'd fought Iblis, I would've probably lost due to the scars anyways. Vale sighed.

"_Right, and we can't repeat this to anyone not already in the know. So unless we talk about it with each other or an Arc Knight, we can't mention the Illuminati's involvement in Williams case," _Vale stated. Mephisto sighed, shuffling the papers we completed earlier around on his desk.

"_Yes, yes. It's a pain, I know, but it's a secret that needs to be kept. When do you wish to leave now that the mission is over, Vale?" _Mephisto inquired. Vale tapped his foot on the ground, a nervous tick of his, and hummed.

"_Is tomorrow morning at seven good? I wouldn't want to bother the Japan Branch for too much longer." _Mephisto nodded.

"_Very well, that covers everything then. We'll hand off Williams to the Canada Branch after we get all we can from him about the Illuminati. You're all excused… though can you stay behind for a second, Miss Kado? I'll let you go shortly," _he said. Vale, Yamato, and Lizzy left the room, though Lizzy shot me a glance before leaving. I gave her a reassuring smile. As soon as the door clicked shut, Mephisto's face warped into a wide, gleeful grin.

"Airi-chan, that went better than I expected! We found Williams, Miss Morrigan told me why Sullivan disappeared, and I won the bet. Speaking of…" he trailed off, standing up to pace the room. "I'm curious how exactly you fought off Iblis, as she isn't exactly an easy opponent. Although, those scars are from fighting her, correct?" His gaze fell to my arms, which were thankfully now covered by a spare exorcist coat I had. I twitched before giving in and taking off my gloves.

"Yes, these scars are from the fight. Over half the Vancouver Branch was called in as backup during a wildfire in the southwest of the U.S. It was… tough, as Iblis had summoned a bunch of fire demons, dragons included, and they were spread out over a rather wide area by the time we got called in. Fire still freaks me out a little, to be honest…" I muttered. He looked at my hands, eyeing the dark veins curiously.

"Magical exhaustion too, then? I wonder, what spells did you use..." he mused, turning to look out the tall, arching windows behind his desk. "Regardless, I have a favor to call in with you sometime, no? Admittedly, Williams just handing me the answer was a bit anticlimactic, but it still _counts_, so I may as well take it." I sighed and put my gloves back on.

"It was a bit unfair, but you did win. Since I'm going back to Canada tomorrow, you'll have to call in that favor soon," I stated. He turned back around, frowning slightly.

"I can't think of anything useful or particularly entertaining right now, unfortunately…" he muttered. I smiled, taking out my cell phone and tossing it to him. A tad surprised, he caught it.

"I've had a pretty fun week, actually," I admitted. "If you want, you can put your number in and I'll give you mine. That way you can just call in your favor whenever. Although, if you're ever in the U.S. or Canada, I'd appreciate it if you'd give me a call. Maybe we can hang out or something." Mephisto smirked.

"Oh, giving your number to a stranger, Airi-chan? Not that I mind," he said, smirking. He then took out his phone and teleported it into my hand. "It makes it more convenient for me. Go ahead, then." I rolled my eyes as I opened his flip phone.

"I'd like to think that we're friends considering everything that's happened this week, you know," I began softly. He stilled. "Though I get it if you don't… well, you know." I looked up, and Mephisto gave me a wide smile, eyes twinkling.

"Friends, Airi-chan? I suppose I do know quite a bit about you… so why not!" he chirped, enthusiastically tossing my phone back. I caught it and sent his back to him through a portal. "In return though, call me if you ever come back to Japan. There are countless tourist destinations you missed out on, after all." I grinned. I didn't make new friends all that often.

"Sure, sure," I replied.

"Yes, well… Miss Morrigan is expecting you," he said, waving me off. "I won't be here tomorrow, so this is the last I'll be seeing you for now. Have a safe trip!" Though a bit startled that he was cutting the conversation short, as we normally talked for quite a while, I shrugged it off. I was a bit disappointed that I wouldn't be able to see him later, but there wasn't anything I could really do about it either since this was a pretty clear dismissal.

"Right, goodbye then. See you around, Mephisto," I said, giving a smile and a wave as I left the room.

Going to Japan, though chaotic, was definitely a good choice. It was a ton of fun, and both Lizzy and I made new friends. Yes, I… I didn't regret it, not one bit. Even if I owed Mephisto a favor and didn't know what the deal was with the Paladin and the Okumura twins, it was totally worth it. Those issues could be resolved another time, but for now… Lizzy and I had some anime to watch.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was tough to write, so much stuff happened! I was worried how I'd get it all in without dragging on for too long haha. It worked though (somehow), and I'm decently happy with how it turned out. With this update I did go back and fix some things in previous chapters, so I'd recommend rereading the end of chapter three (anything with Rin and Yukio) as those pieces are a bit different. Otherwise, I hope you all enjoyed the first part of this random little story, and have a great week!**

**4/2/19 - Minor grammar edits, some lines cut or altered where Lizzy and Mephisto meet and when the group talks after fighting Williams.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Change of Pace**

Letting out a yawn, I locked the door behind me before stumbling through the entryway and into the living room, flopping down on the dark blue couch. I turned to the small side table next to it and grabbed the remote before stretching my arms out behind me and turning on the TV. I was finally home.

After arriving back in Canada, the national Branch Manager called a meeting to congratulate us on successfully capturing Williams and to give everyone who went on the mission a day off to recuperate. I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, as I was pretty tired from staying up with Lizzy to binge _Cowboy Bebop _(even if we didn't get to finish it). Maybe I could draw something? I hadn't had much time for that recently, so that'd be nice…

_Brrring! Brrring!_

Realizing that it was the home phone, I groaned. Why now?

Sighing, I stood up and made my way over to the kitchen where the corded monstrosity resided. As I picked up the receiver, I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I just wanted some damn peace and quiet, so it better not be a freakin' telemarketer-

"Good morning, Airi," the woman said, her voice seeping with false pleasantries. I raised an eyebrow. It was just my mother, but I didn't know why she sounded so angry… I could only hope it wasn't directed at me.

"Hello, Mama. How are you?" I said awkwardly, fidgeting with the phone cord. She let out a short laugh.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine - I was wondering when you'd deem it appropriate to grace us with your presence again. After all, you've been ignoring our calls all week… or that's what I would say if I didn't know that you went off to Japan without telling us," she mused, and I twitched. I wasn't able to give them my cell phone number since it was reserved for other exorcists only (it was actually paid for by the Order, making it easier for them to get ahold of us in an emergency), so I had no real way of contacting them whenever I had to leave the country for work. I _did _tell my parents that travel on short notice was a possibility though, and they had no issues with it in the past…

"It's like you said, and you know it's just a part of the job," I explained awkwardly. "Though I am a bit curious how you knew where I was…" She sighed.

"Your aunt called us about it, actually. One of her friends was stuck on the same mission as you," she stated. "Honestly, I'm just a bit peeved you didn't at least tell us ahead of time - especially after how your last big mission went. Don't you think you should be more careful of which jobs you take? Your father has much more to say on the matter, so I'll just pass the line over the him." I bit back a groan. Since both my parents knew about the existence of demons, even if they weren't exorcists themselves, they knew quite a bit about the dangers of the job. I couldn't really blame them for being concerned, but ever since the fight with Iblis, I couldn't help feeling like they were coddling me.

"Airi, you still here?" a quiet, deep voice inquired.

"Yes, Tou-san," I said. He sighed.

"Airi… I'm disappointed in you. Running off to a foreign country without telling us was exceedingly irresponsible! Why do you keep insisting on being an exorcist? It's so dangerous… Why don't you just do something else? You… you don't have to prove anything to anyone, you know?" he pleaded softly. My grip on the phone loosened.

"I told you guys that travel on short notice was a possibility after passing my Exwire Certification Exam, and you hadn't had any issues in the past when I've had to leave without notice," I said, voice steady. "And you already know why. I genuinely like this job, I'm doing this for me."

"After you're fight with-" he stopped, taking a deep breath to collect himself. "Well… exorcism is dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt. There was a reason why I left my family. You can make your own path in life, no expectations or strings attached." I stilled. He… he had never told me _why_ he left, simply that he _did_, and the fact that he brought it up and expected me to understand what he meant was a little unfair, even if it was a life-changing experience for him.

"Yeah… but this _is _what I want to do. At the very least, I'll try to let you guys know before I leave the country again, okay?" Father sighed, realizing that this was the best he would get out of me.

"Fine, fine… we'll talk more about this later. For now though, your mother wants me to let you know that we're having dinner with her parents, Friday night, at our place, and they expect you to attend."

"Mkay, I'll be there. Love you, Tou-san," I whispered.

"Love you too, kiddo. Just… stay safe, okay?" he said softly. I hummed in agreement and hung up the phone. Rubbing my forehead, I walked over to my bedroom. Today definitely called for a pajama day.

I loved my parents, I really did - I just wished they wouldn't treat me like I would break because of my career.

* * *

"Ari, how was your day off?" Lizzy asked, skipping over to me and pulling me into a hug. I laughed and shook her off. The secretary shot me a sympathetic look from her desk.

"Good, I really needed a lazy day. My parents called, but other than that nothing interesting happened. How about you?" I asked, tapping the "up" button on the office's elevator with one of my gloved hands. Her face split into a wide smile.

"Great! I gave Yamato a call and we talked for a little bit, it was pretty nice," she gushed, twirling a strand of her curly brown hair. My lips twitched upwards.

"Oh, does someone have a crush?" I asked, smirking. She blushed.

"Ah… maybe? I'd like to get to know him a bit better first, and long distance relationships are kinda difficult, so who knows? He is pretty cute though!" she exclaimed, gray eyes lighting up. "I definitely want to keep in touch with him regardless." A soft chime rang out, signaling the arrival of the elevator. A tall blond man was already inside, and he gave us an awkward wave before we piled in. Lizzy pressed the button for the seventh floor, and he (Johnson, I believe?) glanced at us as the door closed.

"Hey… Kado, Morrigan. Good job on the Williams case, I guess," he muttered, breaking the silence. "Keep up the good work." I smiled awkwardly at him.

"Thanks, Johnson," I said, and Lizzy nodded.

"Yeah, you did well on that windigo case last week. Those guys are tough," she commented. The man rubbed the back of his head, chuckling.

"The damn thing nearly took a bite out of me, so it's not that impressive," he said as the elevator chimed. "Well, this is my floor - see you later!" He gave us a small smile as he got off, and Lizzy waved at him. As the door closed, she turned to me, ecstatic.

"Dude, someone talked to you normally - this is a total breakthrough!" she exclaimed.

"Suppose so, though Johnson is generally pretty chill," I mused. Lizzy laughed.

"I totally forgot his name, it's a good thing you remembered! Otherwise that would've been pretty awkward. Still, windigos are nasty little fuckers…" she muttered, shivering. I chuckled.

"Yeah, the way they move is hella freaky too," I said as the elevator stopped once again. The pair of us got out and made our way over to our cubicles. I was happy to note that less people were gossiping about us, though that could be because it wasn't my first day back anymore.

"Man… remember when you, Karen, and I had to exorcise one back when we were exwires?" she recalled, and I nodded.

"They normally save those for intermediate class exorcists or higher, but that mission was pretty sketch anyways. I'm sure they didn't give it a proper evaluation to begin with, and that whole building reeked of black magic."

"So that's why the place felt so damn creepy! I knew something was off about it, though Karen insisted that I was a wimp. Those stories she kept telling the whole time didn't help either…" she said, trailing off. I bit back a laugh. Karen was the other girl in our cram school class, and she could be rather interesting at times. If I remembered right, she went on to study demonology and sealing rituals in the states after graduation.

"She always told the best scary stories. Hm… we're taking general requests today, right?" I asked, changing the subject. Lizzy nodded.

"Thankfully. After that debriefing paperwork Sir Pheles gave us, I think I'd pass out if I had to touch another pen. The fact that they kept dying only made it so much worse…" she muttered darkly. I bit back a laugh.

"Imagine doing his paperwork all week. I didn't realize how bad branch managers had it in that regard," I mused as we approached her desk. Lizzy smiled before taking a seat in her chair, spinning it around once for good measure before powering on her computer. My eyes softened as I glanced over the familiar posters.

"Sucks to suck, I suppose," she said, grinning as she pulled up the request board on her screen. "Ooh, this looks good! A hobgoblin infestation off at an abandoned cabin deep in the woods… The park rangers want to use it again, so it has to be cleared out. Want to take this one?"

"I mean, if you want to - should be easy enough," I replied. She nodded and moved to click "accept."

"Yeah… there shouldn't be that many, maybe five at most. With the two of us, we should be fine."

* * *

We were not fine. In fact, we were the opposite of fine.

The main reason for this was that there were _way _more hobgoblins than the initial report suggested. Oh, and most of them were mid-level too. Thankfully, Lizzy summoned a naberius to hold off the ones focused on attacking her while I hacked away at the rest with my saber. As it was now though, the ghoulish dog could only attempt to fight off so many, and though she summoned a few more to hold the line, the hobgoblins were starting to break through.

"Did you call for backup yet?" I called out, a bit panicked as shot at one of the green demons with a pistol in my off hand. She clicked her tongue.

"I _tried _to, but there's no freakin' signal here! I think we're on our own," she yelled, exasperated. A hobgoblin broke past one of her dogs and lunged for the brunette. I swore and warped over to her, slicing it in half and shoving a pistol into her hands.

"You may not be a Dragoon, but if they break past your summons they'll be close enough that it shouldn't really matter. Think you can take care of 'em? I'd really appreciate it," I ground out. She laughed.

"Sure, but be careful of stray bullets - there's a good reason why I failed out of that meister," Lizzy quipped, shifting the pistol into a proper two-handed grip.

Eventually, we were able to finish off all of them. It took way longer than expected, and by then, the sun was already hanging low in the sky, the atmosphere dyed with pale purples, pinks, and oranges. I sighed as I took out a spare cloth from a portal, wiping the goblin blood of my sword.

Well, at least we had the keys; since the cabin had a door, we could simply warp back. It certainly saved us some time, considering that the walk over took nearly two hours.

* * *

Mephisto leaned back in his chair before taking a deep breath and lazily throwing the key he was holding onto his desk. He finally got back from telling the exorcists guarding kitsune shrines across the country that they were no longer needed, and he took a moment to think about how strangely the Williams mission went.

Kado, as noted before, was an unexpected anomaly. As soon as he saw that woman's red eyes, he knew she wasn't supposed to be there and had been dabbling in magic. Listening in on her conversation with Morrigan only reinforced her peculiarity, and it also introduced the added threat that the brunette was different too - far more outgoing than ever before. And to top it all off, because Kado she showed up in Sullivan's place, he suspected that she might have been the Illuminati spy instead.

But she wasn't. And even stranger, this was rather apparent from the beginning, if he had been paying a bit more attention to the details.

It was _so_ obvious she was hiding things - her family, her magic, and her fight with Iblis (he could only imagine how _that _went down, though the thought of how angry the King of Fire was when she realized she couldn't finish off a mere human was _very _entertaining, especially considering how much she hated them). Funnily enough, _how _Kado hid all these things was very consistent - aversion and deflection. She never lied about anything (though perhaps that was because she knew he was a demon and could easily call her out on it, but considering her peculiar thoughts on demons in general, that probably wasn't the case), and she was wholeheartedly honest when she did answer any questions. As a result, being a spy would probably be the worst possible profession for her, even if she had the combat capability for it.

That was another thing - Mephisto was still a bit irked that he couldn't figure out what gave her that magic. It was so familiar, yet he just couldn't put his finger on it. It felt like the answer was lying right under his nose, but for whatever reason he simply couldn't look down to see it.

Back to the topic at hand, though - the Illuminati spy.

After the altercation in the park, Mephisto was just _so sure _it was her. Going for a run, though plausible, was a flimsy excuse at best. But, when questioned, she brought up that tidbit about Todo. The man was still incredibly valuable to the Lucifer, being a teacher at the cram school with a high possibility of working in the Deep Keep like the rest of his family, so his brother would never throw a pawn like that away, especially considering that Todo was also a demon eater. No, that line cemented the fact that there was no way Airi could be working for the Illuminati and was probably just an average exorcist like she claimed.

Her magic was anything but average though, which is what bothered him, but-

Anyways, she was an unknown third party at worst, even if that was exceedingly unlikely. She _was_ fairly interesting, admittedly. A reincarnated soul from another era… it sounded like something right out of a manga!

Yes, it was that fact, along with her line about friendship (a classic anime trope, even if he thought it was useless in reality), that convinced him to give up his phone number. Well, that and convenience. He _did_ want to save that favor for something good, as having someone who could fight Iblis and live on his side was never a bad thing. Her lackadaisical attitude towards her own self-preservation, demonstrated by her relatively accepting demeanor when she outed him as a demon king, was also mildly amusing.

Speaking of powerful exorcists though… he had a meeting to keep with Shiro. Mephisto hummed at this thought, stood up, snatched his key from the desk, and waltzed towards his office's door.

No matter how weird Airi-chan may be, the bet with Shiro over the Okumura twin's fate was still ongoing. Whenever _that_ came around, it always became his top priority - it was always just so interesting - _enticing_, even - to watch! Mephisto's lips twitched upwards into a small smile, and he almost burst out laughing at the repercussions of _those _events. Yes, yes… What decisions will his little brothers make this time? He could only wait and see.

* * *

I stood in front of my parent's house, stomach churning anxiously. I twisted my umbrella in my hand a few times before fidgeting with my gloves, not wanting to draw attention to myself just yet. As the rain fell from the dark sky, my find fell blank. I took a moment to just listen to the sound of the rain, like static, as it hit the concrete. After a minute, I took in a deep breath to collect myself and walked up the sidewalk, past the tall columns, and under the porch of the two-story, white-bricked home. Glancing at the vines climbing up its walls next to one of the windows, a small smile graced my face. Father hadn't been too happy when they crawled off the arbor and onto the house, worried that the vines would chip away at the home's structural integrity. Mother, though, had convinced him to leave them be. Turning towards the large set of double doors, I finally worked up the courage to ring the doorbell.

From the inside, I heard hurried footsteps clatter on the hard floor. They stopped at the door, and the lock clicked loudly as it was undone. Mother opened the door, stepping aside to let me in.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We don't have all day," she chided, dark blue eyes glancing over me. "Your grandparents aren't here yet, though they said your uncle's family may tag along too." I hummed noncommittally, even though that wasn't exactly good news.

"Airi, you here?" father called from another room further in the house. "Come on in!"

"Okay!" I yelled back, shaking off my umbrella outside before walking in and talking off my shoes and coat. After hanging up my coat and putting my umbrella down, mother raised an eyebrow at me. I looked back at her questioningly.

"Your gloves. Why haven't you taken them off?" she asked, crossing her arms over her pale pink blouse.

"Ah… well, my hands aren't exactly pretty to look at anymore," I justified, and she sighed.

"Oh, sorry - I forgot. That's the reason for the turtleneck too, right?" she inquired, eyeing my maroon sweater. I nodded. "Forget I said anything then. Anyways, your father is in the kitchen. He said he wanted to talk to you alone about something, so I suppose it's a good thing my parents aren't here yet." She then turned around, blonde hair swishing behind her, and walked up the stairs. Keeping my face neutral, I followed the hallway to the kitchen. There, father was leaning against the white counter top, tapping his fingers on it idly. His dark eyes looked up to meet mine when I entered the room.

"There you are," he said with a strained smile. He was wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks. "I was worried you might not show up. Take a seat! Do you want anything to drink?"

"Water would be nice," I replied, sitting down on one of the wooden stools at the counter. He nodded.

"Sure, sure," he said, pulling a glass out from one of the overhead oak cabinets lining the wall. He poured me a glass, and I waited in silence, only breaking it to say "thank you" when he passed it to me. He let out a long sigh.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about this," he began, back straightening up, "but I… I think it's important. I really don't like you being an exorcist, Airi. I think I forgot how dangerous the job really was. My family… it was all I really knew, growing up - killing demons, protecting people, and grasping for power. After I moved here though, I was finally able to live a _normal _life. I… I'm truly thankful to your mother for that." He stopped, gazing wistfully at the ceiling with a soft smile on his face.

"I understand, Tou-san," I responded, voice level. "But-"

"I don't think you do," he said, cutting me off and giving me a stern look. "Your hospitalization this summer was… difficult, for me. For us. And even though I wanted to avoid this, I think that now I have no choice but to tell you why I left to begin with. And if you want to keep putting yourself in danger after that, well… it's your own choice. I only want you to be well informed." I looked up, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He… he was really going to tell me? I'd always been curious, but I knew that it was a sensitive topic, so I normally avoided it out of respect. They weren't my first parents, but they cared for me - even when I didn't deserve it - and I'd grown attached to them over the years.

"I… If you want to," I agreed unsteadily. He nodded, glancing over to the rain dripping down the windows.

"It's alright; it's probably good to know if you ever end up in Japan again anyways. I'd really like you to reconsider, but… you're stubborn, just like your mother and I, so I doubt you will."

"You know it," I said, smirking as I brought the water up to my lips. He let out a small chuckle.

"Yes, yes… you get that attitude from her too," he mused, pulling at a strand of his black hair. "I studied to become an exorcist too, you know. The Kado family was - and still is - a relatively large family of exorcists in Japan. They were around long before the Order even came to the country, priding themselves on power above all else, whether it be through swordsmanship, allying themselves with demons, or even, in some cases, magic." I perked up at that; I didn't know father's side of the family had magic too. He laughed at my expression.

"Yes, magic. Though it's quite different from the kind you know, and they didn't study any particular branch," he continued. "Those with the potential for it performed summoning rituals and tied themselves to the domain of the first demon they made contact with. It was common to marry demons too, for the sake of future generations. Once they joined the Order, this had to stop, of course, or at least formally. To this day, they still turn out strong Tamers - hell, your aunt is one of the best. But I'm getting off track. When I was young, my grandfather was the family head, and he drove my cousins, siblings, and I into the ground training. It was normal, expected, _required _to grow up to be an exorcist. I knew nothing but my family's expectations." Ah, _now_ it made more sense why he kept insisting that I had nothing to prove. He was a few years too late, unfortunately.

"Your mother was different, though. I met her when I came to Canada during high school to study abroad," his eyes glazed over, a warm smile gracing his face. "She was radiant, and the first person to convince me that there was more to life than slaying demons and appeasing my family, to tell me that people who couldn't fight demons weren't weak and useless. We… we completed each other. I drew back some of her rasher tendencies, and she taught me how to open up to people. It… it was an amazing experience. So much so that I gathered the courage to somehow convince my grandfather to let me finish out my schooling here. I even brought her back to Japan after I passed my Knight and Doctor exams - with her parents blessing, of course - to meet my family. That's… that's where everything began to fall apart." I stiffened. It was rather surprising to find out he was an exorcist at one point, as he always took a nonchalant stance on demons. He always told me "leave them alone and they'll leave you alone, more often than not."

"It sounds like you two had fun," I said, attempting to cheer him up a bit. I felt bad, causing him to relive all of this. "Back in high school, I mean - you must've made lots of memories."

"We did… they were some of the best years of my life," he said, his smile turning sad. "But nothing can last forever. Actually, they didn't have any problem with me dating, and wanting to marry, a foreigner. Power was the basis of the Kado family, so as long as she fit their definition of strong, it wouldn't be an issue. Because I was such a model child before I left, grandfather assumed she was an exorcist. She wasn't though, and as soon as he found out… he was furious, demanding that I leave her immediately. I refused to, obviously, and tried to tell him that there was more to life than power. This ended… poorly, to say the least. It almost came to blows, at which point your mother mentioned that her family had magic. He stopped yelling me for a bit, but when she admitted she couldn't use it herself… he told me either she goes or I do. I left and was disowned, and your Aunt Shiki is the only one who keeps contact with me."

"Ah, that's…" I trailed off, not knowing exactly how to respond. His lips quirked down into a frown.

"I know - family is supposed to nurture the younger generations, help them grow into better people. Parents too, from what I understand. They're not supposed to be bound so strictly to tradition and to refuse to compromise. Even if I'm being a bit hypocritical on that last point, insisting that you do something else with your life," he explained, letting out a pained laugh. "The rest of the Order has a similar attitude - not necessarily in their ruthless pursuit of power, but in their belittling of those who can't defend themselves from demons. They constantly treat them as a burden, intentionally or not. I… I just don't want you to think that you have to be an exorcist. Is that too much to ask?" I took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. I… I didn't really have a good response to that.

The doorbell chimed abruptly, breaking the silence.

"That must be Sarah's parents. Can you set the table, Airi? I'll get the door," he said, moving to leave the room. I walked over the dining room, taking the white china out from the cabinet and doing as requested. I heard chatter over at the entrance but ignored it; I'd see them soon anyways. After I finished, I looked over my work and made sure I had enough plates set for my parents, both my grandparents, my uncle, his kids, my aunt, and myself. Nodding to myself, I moved to leave the room, but then my grandmother came in, smiling brightly at me and pulling me into a firm hug.

"Arianna, dear! How have you been? I haven't seen you since last Christmas," she exclaimed. I returned the embrace. As I released her, I glanced up at my grandfather who was standing in the entrance to the room, and I couldn't help but feel under-dressed. Grandfather was wearing a dark blue three piece suit in order to match his eyes, his gray hair slicked back, and grandmother was wearing a floor-length green floral print dress. Father slid past grandfather and set a baked chicken on the table, along with some salad and other vegetables he had balanced on an old tray. "And Daichi, excellent job as always." Grandfather nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," he said, "I try my best. Feel free to pull up a chair and begin, I'll go grab something for us to drink." Father turned and left the room, and grandfather pulled out a chair for his wife before sitting down himself. I sat down across from them, and uncle walked in. He nodded cordially at me before taking a seat at the head of the table. I schooled my face, fighting back a scowl - that was always father's seat, and he knew it. Uncle, too, was dressed formally, donning a white dress shirt, a black vest and slacks, and a bright red tie.

"So, Arianna," grandfather began, glancing up at me as he cut himself a slice of chicken. "How has work been going? Are you still able to use your magic?" At his second question, mother entered the room and shot a dark glare at the back of his head before fixing a false smile on her face and taking a seat next to me. I tensed up, though I kept it to my shoulders so that it wouldn't show.

"It's going well," I let out. "And yes, I can still use magic." Honestly, I hated it that this was their second question to me after the incident. Maybe, just _maybe_, I thought they might care more for my personal safety than about my abilities, but it seemed I was wrong.

"Perhaps you can summon the watch? Just to prove it - not that we don't believe you, of course," grandmother added, tilting her head and plastering on a sickeningly sweet smile. Anger flashed in mother's eyes, but I merely nodded.

"Sure, here it is," I said, opening my hand and letting a silver pocket watch slide out of a swirling portal that I summoned above it. Grandmother let out a disappointed sigh as it fell into my hand.

"I'm surprised it isn't damaged after your fight with Iblis," uncle commented offhandedly. "Considering how much magic you would've had to use for it." Grandfather shot him a glare, but otherwise said nothing. Mother tapped her fingers on the table, drawing the others' attention to her.

"Well… Airi can handle herself," she drawled.

Biting back a sigh, I could only bemoan the fact that the dinner devolved into _this _so quickly. That pocket watch, intricately carved with the family crest on the front, embellished with sapphires and containing an elaborate, jeweled mock-up of several major constellations on the inside cover, was what boosted my magical abilities to such an insane degree. It was a family heirloom of sorts, and the type of object to choose its wielder. Grandfather and grandmother only let me see if I was compatible with it because, at the time, it looked like uncle wouldn't have any children of his own. Now that he did, they were looking for any excuse to try to force or convince me to pass it off to one of them. The watch was bound to a wielder until their life or magic ran out though, and I presumed grandfather was hoping for the latter when he asked about my magic.

Thankfully, father entered the room with a tray full of water glasses and broke some of the tension, taking a seat next to mother. He handed a glass to everyone, and we all picked out portions for ourselves and dug in.

"Brother, how has your family been?" mother asked, attempting to start a safer conversation. He let out a short laugh.

"Fine, just fine. The kids are off with my wife's family today," he replied. Grandmother smiled.

"Oh, they're doing wonderful in school too, top of their classes. And-" grandmother continued talking, but I ignored her. I could practically hear my mother rolling her eyes.

"How hard is it to be top of their classes in _third and fifth grade_, it's not like they have much competition…" she muttered spitefully, and father's eyes crinkled, amused.

"-I do think they should be ready to start their magic lessons soon," grandmother noted. "Arianna, would you be willing to teach them? You would be a good example, as the rest of us can't exactly do too much with it." A dark look overcame her face, but it left quickly. Though both my grandparents came from magical families, neither could do much themselves, nor could their children. Magic often skipped generations, so this wasn't too unusual. The last person to use the watch was my great grandmother actually, even if I had never met her.

"I can't make any promises - being an exorcist is rather demanding. Once you start teaching them, I could show them a trick or two if I see them," I acquiesced. Grandfather frowned but nodded. Father took a bite of his green beans, and mother took another stab at a slice of meat.

"Maybe we can set up times later," grandmother pushed. "But if you're busy, I understand. Fighting demons can be rough." I barely bit back a scoff at her words, so obviously insincere as they were. Mother was growing sick of it too, but father grabbed her hand from under the table and squeezed it to comfort her and prevent her from doing anything rash.

"Anyways," uncle started, standing up from his seat, "I have a conference call I need to take, so I'll be leaving now. Thank you for the food, Daichi." He pushed his chair back in, nodding once at my father before swiftly leaving the room. Grandfather stood up too, and grandmother was quick to follow.

"I should be going too, it's getting late and it's a long drive home. I'll be seeing you later, Arianna," he said, glancing back at me. Damn, he really did expect me to teach the kids magic. They weren't _bad_, per say; they were just kids and had no way of knowing about any of this family drama. Even if I didn't think they were the best things in the world like grandmother did, I couldn't really hold anything against them either. Father stood up, following them as they left the room, and mother and I trailed after him.

"At least let us see you off. Have a safe drive," father said, smile tense. Grandfather nodded, and grandmother shot me a small smile. The duo then put on their shoes and coats before walking out the door, and I could see uncle climbing into his own car by the curb as they did so. They echoed goodbyes and well-wishes at us before leaving, and father closed and locked the door behind them. Once they made it to their van, mother let out a curse and turned to kick the wall. I froze, and father sighed.

"Damn them, only coming to see if Airi can still do magic! Did you see that, Daichi? They didn't even finish their fucking food! All they wanted was that damn watch-" she ranted, and father pulled her into a hug.

"It's alright, they're gone now… You only have one family, and although they can be difficult, it's better that than losing them," he said, voice cracking. I hugged them too, awkwardly wrapping my arms around them.

"It's… it's just the way things are. Don't beat yourself up over it," I muttered, and mother sighed.

"I know, I know," she said. "That was a bit out of line." Father shook his head.

"It's understandable. Airi? You can go home if you want, it's been a long day," he said, and I nodded with a strained smile.

"Yeah… it has. I'll take you up on that."

* * *

I walked into work Saturday morning (demons don't take a break, so neither can we) still mentally exhausted from the night before. Sighing, I ran a hand through my long, blonde hair as I walked over to my cubicle. I plopped down in my seat before leaning back, the old chair screeching in protest. Glancing over at my keyboard, I noticed a flyer there.

Oh? This was interesting - Vale needed someone from our unit to transfer over to the Midwest indefinitely. I hadn't been to the U.S. in a while, but it _was_ a permanent transfer…

Thinking back on the conversation with my grandparents though, that would probably be for the best. My parents shouldn't have any issue with it as long as I tell them beforehand too. It… it would be a good change of pace, even if I hate to leave the Vancouver Office now that I know normalcy can be achieved again. But…

Sending a quick text to my parents to let them know I was considering it, I picked up the flyer and headed over to Vale's office to start the transfer process. Hopefully, this would help me out. If not… well, Chicago and Detroit both had excellent pizza places.

* * *

**AN: This was more of a transitional chapter, going from the first multi-chapter arc to the next. I do think it has its own merits though, and I find the family dinner part gloriously awkward. There's a ton of info packed in there about Airi and her family situation too, so I hope that was interesting, even with all the new characters crammed in. If you haven't noticed by now, there's a ton of OCs here, and it's not stopping anytime soon. Setting it before canon and in a foreign country for a good chunk of the opening act kinda does that haha, though I did put in the scene with Mephisto to break that up a little bit. **

**Also, you may have noticed I went back and tweaked some stuff on the other chapters with this update. This is mainly because I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to take the story, but I've figured that out now so I had to go back and make some changes for internal consistency later down the line. I believe my writing can always get better as well, so if I notice any more errors, grammatical or otherwise, that I've made or inevitably will make in the future, I'll probably go back and fix them at some point for improvement's sake. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading and have a great day!**

**4/25/19 - Minor grammar edits.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Dream Team**

Lizzy was worried about Ari.

That hobgoblin mission - supposedly oh so simple - gave her way more trouble than it should have. Sure, they were outnumbered, and sure, the initial report was wrong so they weren't expecting it, but _hobgoblins_ of all things should've never given an exorcist of Ari's category any trouble, regardless of the situation.

Lizzy knew it was because the blonde was distracted too, staring off into space far more than usual, but she didn't want to bring it up because she knew it would embarrass the other woman.

_What _was distracting her could be anyone's guess.

If there was one thing Lizzy knew about her friend, it was that she was independent to a fault, refusing to rely on others even for the most basic of things. She still remembered that one time in cram school when a wild naberius ate Ari's hairbrush and she refused to ask one of her classmates to borrow theirs until she had the opportunity to buy a new one. Her bedhead had been hilarious, and she'd only had to go two days without one, but… it was still telling.

Airi "Arianna" Kado was a woman who bottled up her problems, insisting that they were less important than they actually were, and someday they would eat her alive. And as a good, responsible friend, it was Lizzy's self-imposed duty to help her out.

Lizzy sighed, leaning back in her chair and tapping her ballpoint pen on the edge on her metal desk. If only Ari would talk about her issues more - she'd _tried _to get the other girl to do so back in cram school, and Ari _was _getting better about it, but Karen was always the best at prying info out of her. Although, it was always "an eye for an eye" kind of thing, full of weighted words and double talk. Demons excelled at that too, and thinking back, it was no wonder Ari got along so well with Sir Pheles. Ari was drawn to those kinds of conversations like a moth to a flame.

It… it actually worried Lizzy quite a bit sometimes, and she was really glad the blonde was able to block out possession with the sheer force of her magic. If not… well, she probably would've been possessed a long time ago.

Lizzy brought her hands up to her forehead, rubbing her temples. She really had to get back on topic so that she could confront her friend later.

Yeah, thinking back on what the other woman said earlier… her parents called her. Ari's parents were nice, even if her dad was a bit quiet and her mom a bit blunt. They made an interesting pair, all things considered, but what about them could be troubling her?

Are they hurt? Are they mad at her? Are her grandparents or cousins hurt?

No, she would've taken time off to see her family if they were injured, so it couldn't be that. But if her parents were mad at her, what for? And her grandparents… for what little Lizzy could remember, the ones on her mother's side were still around. Although, she had zero clue what they were like. She always deflected, and if something was bothering her about them, she simply said "it's complicated" and "don't worry about it" before moving on.

...Considering that, it probably _was _her grandparents.

Though she didn't _say _she talked to her grandparents before the mission, so maybe her mom and dad were still being a bit overprotective due to the incident? Well, whatever it was, Lizzy sure as hell didn't know.

Maybe she should just ask? ...Yeah, let's go with that.

If Ari wants to talk about it, she will, and Lizzy would be happy that she trusted her enough to do so. If not… she couldn't really do anything about it anyways.

Wait - why was Ari walking out of Vale's office? And were those _transfer _papers?

Whatever this was, it certainly couldn't wait anymore.

* * *

"Hey, Ari! How's it going?"

I stilled as I closed the door to Vale's office, eyes quickly flickering over to Lizzy, who was walking over to me with a lazy smile on her face. I returned the gesture, though it was a bit stilted. Lizzy noticed, unfortunately, and a small frown graced her face. I forced my smile to be a tad brighter, quickly flicking my papers into a portal in hopes that she wouldn't see them quite yet. I talked to Vale about the transfer, and I wanted to break it to her on my own terms.

"Fine, what about you?" I asked. Lizzy sighed.

"So-so. Unfortunately, you and I are stuck in the filing room today - they're behind on organization and are cutting into other departments in order to get their shit together," Lizzy complained, and I stifled a small laugh.

"Really? It is what it is, what section do we have?" I inquired, steering us towards the elevator.

"Yukon Territory, low-level demon sightings," the brunette mused, pausing to click the "down" button. "I'm kind of annoyed - if they're giving us busy work, they could at least give us the _good _kind - skimming through reports of upper-level demon fights can be interesting, but _no_, we just get to sort through the garden-variety, dime-a-dozen kind." I rolled my eyes.

"At least it's mindless busy work and not too taxing. Remember when they made us scrub the floors in the tamer pens during our Exwire Authorization Exam?" I said lightly. Lizzy shuddered.

"_That _was terrible - too much demon goop for me. At least we didn't get stuck in a fake murder mystery setup like the year above us did," she replied, pensive. A soft chime rang out, and we piled into the empty elevator. We chatted idly, eventually arriving at our destination and receiving the files we had to sort from a thankful librarian. Once we made it to our section, isolated in the back corner with no one else around, Lizzy's eyes turned serious.

"Alright, I call tell something's bothering you - now spill," she demanded, plopping her pile of files down onto an oak table hidden between two bookshelves. I blinked back at her owlishly.

"...What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused. She sighed, running a hand through her curly hair.

"I've known you for a while, Ari, and though we hide a lot from each other sometimes, whatever's happening now is genuinely bothering you. And sometimes… sometimes it's just best to rant about it," she stated, turning her back to me to put some files away as she talked. "I promise I won't tell - friend's code and all that." I hummed in thought. I suppose I _have _been out of it since my parents called, and dinner last night _did _go rather atrociously. Lizzy… I'd known her for years, and I knew I could trust her with this at least, even if I could never reveal my past life. But… but I didn't really _need _help, and I had the situation handled.

"It's alright, I think the worst of it's over," I stated, grabbing a pile of my own to put away. When it became apparent I wouldn't say any more, Lizzy whipped around, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed.

"You… You're always like this, Ari! You _need _to learn to open up to people more - if something major's bothering you, you need to _say _it. It won't just go away on it's own!" she rambled hands gesturing wildly. "I'm just worried about you - it's what friends are for, space girl." I took a step back involuntarily, surprised at her outburst. I… I didn't realize it was bothering her that much (though I didn't realize a lot of things about people's more passionate emotions if that conversation with father was anything to go by). I bit back a sigh, conflicted. I… I suppose since I _would _be eventually leaving the country because of it, she did deserve to know. I did wish I was able to tell her at a better time though.

"It's my grandparents," I began. "They… the magic I have comes from a family heirloom, and they want it to go to my cousins instead of me. It's… bound to life or magic, like many stronger artifacts. They were actually _hoping _that my magic went away after the Iblis fight so that they could use that as an excuse to pass it off to them. Now though… they're trying to force me into teaching my cousins magic. They're kids, it's not their fault or anything, but I really don't want to do it, you know?" Ah, that was a bit more than strictly necessary, but it _did _feel good to rant a little bit. I let out a sigh, and it was Lizzy's turn to blink in shock at me.

"They… wanted you to die?" she said softly, voice quivering. I shook my head, easily seeing how she could think that (people have done less for power, after all).

"I don't think so… but I won't deny it'd probably be convenient for them," I stated. Her eyes flashed with anger, though she quickly dialed it back.

"That's… terrible, Ari. Really terrible. But thank you for trusting me enough to tell me," she said evenly, stuffing another file onto the shelf. I bit the inside of my cheek before speaking up.

"It's… it's just how it is, unfortunately. That's why I was in Vale's office this morning. I saw the transfer flier and thought it might be a good excuse to get away from it. I can't teach my cousins from a different country, after all," I explained, and Lizzy nodded.

"I wish you didn't have to go, especially since it looks like things are getting better over here, but considering your situation… I can't really blame you. Although..." she trailed off, a spark lighting up in her gray eyes. "Maybe I can go with you! They need a group of three to go, right?" I stopped what I was doing, genuinely surprised that she'd offer something like that. I'd… I'd never had a friend do that before, not in this life or the last.

"I… are you sure? What about your family? Your other friends?" I asked, growing a bit frantic. She waved me off.

"It's fine, my other friends don't work at this branch anyways, and my parents have my baby brother to fawn over - they'll be fine! I've always wanted to live in America anyways," she said, a mischievous smile crawling onto her face. "Think I can find a cute boy to bring back?" I stifled a chuckle.

"If you're comfortable with that, I'd love it. It'd be a ton of fun," I quipped. I was really glad that I was lucky enough to have such a good friend around. Even if I was familiar with the area, the transition would be a lot easier if I wasn't alone. "Although, there's no guarantee that we'll both get picked, but I _can _tell you what I know about the mission so far. It'll be an adventure, that's for sure." Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm, and she leaned forwards, slamming her hands down on the table.

"Details, stat!" she demanded, grinning wildly. My lips twitched up into a wide smile.

"It's a follow up on the whole Illuminati debacle. The higher-ups are putting together an operation to counter them, though how the transfers will be helping is up in the air. If we do get picked, considering our background, it'll probably be as a combat team, taking out secret bases and all that jazz," I explained. "And since my magic proved to be stable in the Williams case, I'm really looking forward to a challenge." This was a great assignment, honestly. I was itching for a good fight, now that I knew I could handle it again, and this most certainly would provide it if we were up to the task. I was a little worried about how this whole thing could affect the timeline, but considering we were on a different continent and the operation probably happened before anyways, it probably wasn't a big deal. Speaking of the timeline, I should probably try to remember it more. I mean, it's near impossible to do it that easily, but thinking about it a bit more might jog my memory (maybe).

"That does sound pretty neat," Lizzy said, nodding. "And pizza man _is _a pretty big threat to the Vatican, so being a part of a high-secrecy mission would be awesome. I'd get to feel like a secret agent! I'll definitely talk to Vale after lunch break." I smiled at her, grateful.

"Thank you so, so much," I replied. "I really don't know what I'd do without you, Lizzy." The brunette grinned.

"Yeah, yeah - save it for later. We got a ton of work to do yet." I hummed in affirmation.

"On that note… do you know where this file goes?"

* * *

The days went by rather quickly after that, which I was thankful for. Mother and father agreed that going out of the country would be a decent way to avoid the whole watch drama, even if they wished I didn't have to deal with that to begin with. Mother was particularly happy I would be "sticking it to them," though I think that's just because she'd grown tired of their nonsense over the years. Father was a bit more pensive, remarking that it _might _backfire on me later. That, though, was strictly a "future me" problem.

Shortly before the picks for the America mission were to be announced, Vale called me into his office. He even walked over to my desk personally instead of sending someone else to do so as per usual. It was enough to peak my interest, and I was a bit more attentive than usual as I followed him back into his office. I closed the door behind us, and he took a seat at his chair, gesturing for me to do the same. Once I sat down, he gave me a rare smile.

"Congratulations, Kado," he said, passing me a new ID card and a formal report. "You're promoted." I stilled.

"...Really?" I asked, glancing down at the papers. He let out a soft chuckle, and I nearly did a double take; I'd never heard him laugh before.

"Yes, really. That report, feel free to look through it by the way, details the higher-ups' thought process on the matter." he said. I flicked through some of the pages, really wanting to immediately read the whole thing. That would have to wait until later though, as I still had work to do. Performance evaluations came with every promotion, and they were always a good way to see what I could improve on. "We're the same rank now, actually." Two whole ranks? My eyes flicked up to the ID card, confirming his words. It did indeed read "Upper Second Class Exorcist."

"That's… surprising. What for?" I asked, a bit confused. It couldn't have been for the Williams case. Illuminati aside, it wasn't actually all that challenging, just tedious. Vale let out a hearty laugh, and my eyes widened in shock.

"'What for,' Kado - really?" he said, amused. "Fighting a demon king, of course! No one other than upper class exorcists have done that and lived." I blinked.

"Ah… that makes sense, I suppose. Though does that mean they're okay with my magic?" I asked. He sighed, and I was slightly surprised at the display until I belatedly realized that since he wasn't my superior anymore, he could afford to be more relaxed around me.

"It's a bit more complicated than that, since what you're doing is really high-level and technically dark. It has, though, been claimed under 'asset protection,' so you should be in the clear as long as you're useful to the Order," he explained. "That's all detailed in the report. I'd encourage you to read it as soon as you're done for today." I nodded.

"Of course."

"That being said, it may be awhile before you can. There is the transfer to be considered, after all," he said, leaning back in his chair. I perked up. "I'll be telling the others shortly, but you, Morrigan, and Johnson have been chosen for a trial run. You'll be leaving right after lunch, working under Dr. Prince, and he has a first mission lined up already. It shouldn't be too hard, but with intelligence-gathering missions, it's always more difficult to accurately assess the difficulty ahead of time."

"Thanks for the heads up," I said, giving him a smile. He returned the gesture.

"Oh no, it's my pleasure. I have quite a bit more paperwork to wade through though, so could you please send Morrigan and Johnson over?" he asked.

"No problem," I said, standing up and taking the dismissal for what it was. He nodded gratefully.

"Wonderful, and if I don't see you later, good luck."

* * *

As requested, I brought Lizzy and Johnson over to Vale. Johnson was rather widely known on the fourth floor and was rather easy to locate, and Lizzy… well, I knew all her hiding spots by now. Once I got there, Vale tossed me a key to Chicago and told me to go wait by the international door, and I was momentarily surprised until I realized that, as an upper class exorcist, I now had clearance to use and hold one myself. Lizzy shot me a look, and I internally berated myself for forgetting to tell her about my promotion due to the excitement of the new mission. I got over it quickly though, and I practically skipped down to the main hall. Lizzy would be coming with me! And Johnson… well, he didn't _hate _me, and we'd worked together well enough in the past, so that was something.

Unfortunately, I had to wait a rather long time for Vale to finish debriefing them (probably because he had to explain the whole Illuminati thing to Johnson), so I ended up pulling out a book from a portal to pass the time. I would double-check my weapons, but I had done so already this morning and could feel from their weight that everything was in the right place.

Thinking briefly on the mission though, it could, potentially, impact the timeline. It would probably be fine, as the operation was organized due to the Williams mission, which from what little I got from Mephisto happened in some capacity in previous timelines. However, my involvement could muck it up, so I should probably give him a heads up, at the very least. Sighing, I put my book away and pulled out my phone. After much deliberation, I decided to text instead of call since Lizzy and Johnson might show up soon. Unfortunately, I couldn't just come out and say "Illuminati incoming, I might mess up the timeline again" since the whole thing was classified, but, and I hated to admit it, the pizza man joke Lizzy referenced earlier today might just come in handy.

After a few rewrites, I finally had my message: "Going to Chicago on a trip, may run into pizza man - heads up." It was vague enough that, if someone else were to read it, it shouldn't cause any real problems. Satisfied, I hit "send" and forgot about it, pulling my book back out to kill some more time.

Eventually, the brunette and blond in question did show up.

"Ari, congratulations!" Lizzy shouted, tackling me into a hug. I held my ground, barely catching myself from falling and returned the gesture.

"I forgot to tell you due to the new mission, sorry 'bout that," I explained sheepishly. She chuckled.

"That's so you, Ari. Can't wait for a good fight, huh?" she teased.

"You know it! Though Johnson, where's Vale?" I inquired. He gave me a shaky smile.

"He couldn't make it, said that the Americans were prepared for our arrival whenever and that you could just use the key yourself," he explained. Lizzy smirked.

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" she said, and I turned to the intricately painted international door, key in hand.

"You're right. I look forward to working with both of you," I said, slipping the key into the door and shooting the duo a sincere smile. Lizzy smiled back, and Johnson relaxed.

"Yeah, let's go kick some ass," he said. With a nod, we walked through the door.

* * *

The American base was… not what I expected. Albeit, a supposedly demolished train station sequestered off by space magic was hardly what _anyone _was expecting, especially since it was a bit on the small side and a group of exorcists were singing and dancing along to a speaker system blasting the _Ghostbusters _theme on one of the platforms. The ceiling was tall, and sound echoed freely throughout the main room. Lizzy stared at the group in confusion, and Johnson's eyes were wide in admiration.

"That's so cool," he whispered, and I bit back a chuckle at the sheer awe in his voice. We closed the door behind us, which was actually the main entrance to the station, and looked around to see if anyone was waiting for us. Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone was otherwise preoccupied - walking quickly to some unknown destination or dancing (it _was _a pretty cool dance party though, and a group in the middle seemed to even have a routine down for it). Lizzy tugged on my sleeve and I looked over to see her gesturing to the waiting area.

"Ari, is that Karen?" she asked, and my eyes widened. It was - tanned skin, black hair pulled back into a high ponytail, and analytical, dark eyes. She was staring down at a newspaper and wearing a white lab coat. Johnson blinked.

"Who?" he asked, trailing behind Lizzy and I as we made our way over to her.

"An old classmate from cram school," I explained. He hummed.

"Maybe she'll know where Dr. Prince is. It's better than standing around doing nothing," he mused. Lizzy nodded before a mischievous smile crossed her face. She motioned for me to stay back, and I shook my head before obliging. She began to sneak up behind Karen, who was too engrossed in her newspaper to notice. Once she got into position, the brunette pulled her into a big hug. Karen tried to stand up, alarmed, but relaxed when she saw who it was. Johnson, stifling laughter, and I walked over to them.

"Oh, it's just you," Karen deadpanned, and Lizzy pouted.

"'Just' me? We come all the way from Canada, and this is what you say to greet us?" she said, rolling her eyes. Karen looked up, giving me a small smile.

"Hello, Airi. It's good to see you again," she greeted.

"It's nice to see you too, Karen," I replied. "This is Johnson, he's working with Lizzy and I." The blond in question waved to her, smiling brightly. Lizzy groaned.

"Oh, you give _her _a proper greeting…" she mumbled, and Karen rolled her eyes.

"_Airi _doesn't _glomp _me in public," she said, glaring at the brunette. "I've been expecting you three, Prince said to bring you to my lab right away - he'll be waiting there." Lizzy let her go and Johnson's eyes lit up.

"Great! Thanks, Karen," he said. Karen stood up, paper in hand, and began walking pointedly towards one of the ever-swirling warps in one of the large gaps in the wall where trains once ran through. We were on the clock, so we would have to wait to catch up until later, but it was a pleasant surprise to see Karen again. Even more so to know that she'd finally achieved her dream of running her own lab. Once we reached the edge of the platform, Karen jumped down onto the train tracks, and though Lizzy and I immediately followed her, Johnson paused a second before doing the same. Sensing his discomfort, Lizzy spoke up.

"So Karen, what's the deal with this place?" she said, gesturing to the large warp we were headed towards in particular.

"This _place _is Chicago's former Grand Central Station. Officially, it was demolished in the seventies, but unofficially, some exorcists studying pocket dimensions and strong area wards sequestered it off and renovated it to use as the Midwest's R&D hub," she explained carefully. "Each exit, disregarding the main door, leads to a different lab. Mine normally specializes in summoning, but for this mission Dr. Prince set up a bunch of communication equipment so I can keep in touch with the teams I'm charged with." I smiled - "teams" meant Karen had really made it big, and I was happy for her.

"That's pretty cool - that means you'll be our contact when we're out and about, right?" Johnson asked, and she nodded.

"Exactly. You'll be given headsets which, when you press the button on the left ear, will send your voice back so we can communicate. Most of this will be in-and-out infiltration work, so we won't be able to talk much, but we're here in case you need to call for backup." Lizzy scoffed.

"Backup? Yeah, right - we got this," she said confidently. Karen stopped in front of the portal.

"Whether you "got this" or not, it's important to complete the mission to the best of your abilities and make it out alive. This won't be easy," she said, turning back to us. Lizzy smiled apologetically, and with a nod, we followed her into the portal.

* * *

The lab's lighting was minimal, and it was comprised of three main sections. Towards the back of the room, where we entered, were three rows of bookcases stuffed with occult books. Some were lying in the aisleways, and the few ones I saw open were all carefully annotated. The middle section of the lab was a large, circular empty space, perfect for drawing summoning circles. The walls of the room were lined with altars, dishes, a cabinet full of chalk and ink, and a small mini fridge with… was that blood dripping down it?

Yes, yes it was.

From that, I could definitely tell that I didn't want to know what was in the solid cabinet right next to it. Probably other… _materials _for summoning. After all, the Order had very few lines they weren't willing to cross when it came to research (a philosophy that did not, in fact, hold true for general exorcists, which was why my magic was problematic to begin with).

At the front of the room on a raised platform were several large CCTV screens hanging on the wall with a dual screen monitor setup, which was really advanced for the time, at a desk below them. In front of the desk was a tall, muscular man with salt and pepper hair and cold eyes.

"I am Dr. Prince, Upper First Class Exorcist. You three must be the Canadians I sent for," he stated, eyes boring into us.

"Yes sir, I am Upper Second Class Exorcist Arianna Kado," I said formally, and Lizzy stepped forwards.

"I'm Lower First Class Exorcist Lizzy Morrigan," she said, back straight.

"And I'm Intermediate Second Class Exorcist Kyle Johnson." Dr. Prince stared at us for a minute longer before nodding, apparently satisfied.

"A wide range on rank, but no matter. I hate to ask, but can you please present your ID cards? This mission is rather sensitive, I'm afraid," he said, walking over to us. The three of us pulled out our cards. He hummed, and we put them away. "We located a potential Illuminati base yesterday, and were able to construct a temporary warp for it. I'll be giving you three the key, and I need you to go in and grab as many documents as you can and bring them back. Normally, we wouldn't seize them so haphazardly, but this base seems defunct so it shouldn't be that big of an issue."

"When do we leave?" Johnson asked, and Karen walked up next to the doctor.

"Right now, actually," she said, looking amused. "Here are your communication devices." She reached over to the desk, grabbing three headsets and tossing them to us. Once we put them on, Dr. Prince handed me a small, black metallic key.

"Yes sir, we'll head out right away," I said, and Karen grinned.

"Wonderful - there's a door next to the CCTV monitors you can use."

"Good luck, and come back safely," Dr. Prince said sternly, stepping back to let us walk over to the small door, which was rather difficult to find at first due to the room's dim lighting. With one last nod, the three of us left the room, and I wear I could see a hint of a smirk cross his face as we did so.

* * *

The hallway was blindingly bright, and I squinted as white light filled my vision. It was sterile, and the light panels overhead flickered ominously. My first impression of the potential Illuminati base, once my eyes evened out and I was able to take in the broken tiles and cracks on the walls, was that it looked like an abandoned hospital. My second impression was that, no matter how desolate the environment seemed, _someone _was still using this place as Lizzy and Johnson were no longer behind me, meaning that the warp had been altered somehow. Either that, or whoever set it up did a shit job, which considering it was probably done rapidly wasn't all too surprising. It could also be another traitor, though that was jumping to conclusions.

The second option was the most likely, though I needed to get out of the hall just in case - it was too open. I quickly ducked into one of the rooms with an open door - didn't want the door creak and give away my location, after all. The room was thankfully empty, and it just held an old hospital bed. I was careful anyways, making sure the sound of my footsteps were near non-existent. I also drew a pistol in my right hand and a dagger in my left, holding it in a reverse grip. I could only hope that the others were alright now too.

Keeping my breath light, I strained my free ear (the headset only occupied my left one) for any sound, and after a minute or two, I was satisfied that no one was in the vicinity. Unfortunately, the whole place reeked of dark magic, nearly to a suffocating degree, so I couldn't use my magic to pinpoint any demons nearby. Reaching a hand up to the headset, I pressed the button by me left ear and spoke.

"Kado calling in. There was a problem with the warp, the three of us were separated," I said, keeping my voice soft. Static cracked as I let the button go and shifted to look down the hall, turning every few seconds to double-check the room out of paranoia.

"Johnson here - I'm in a staircase now, don't see or hear anyone around."

"Kado again, I'm in a hallway. I see a staircase and elevator from my vantage point - end of the hall that I'm currently near the middle of. I'll make my way over shortly," I whispered back, focusing on making a portal in front of me and by the door to the staircase. I jumped through and opened the door as softly as I could before shutting it just as gently behind me. The less I was in the open, the better.

"It's Johnson, and that's great. I'll keep an eye out for you, I'm at floor two. Any idea where Morrigan went?" he asked, and I paused. That was a good question. Her radio silence indicated that she might not be in a position to talk right now, which wasn't good - that meant hostiles in the building. Thankfully, the headset seemed to hold sound well from what I could tell, so our chatter shouldn't get her discovered. Glancing at the number by my door, I nearly swore.

"Kado here, and I'm at floor nine. You walk up up and I walk down?"

"Johnson again, and that sounds good to me."

Making sure to tread lightly down the steps, I kept my pistol and dagger in front. I also checked behind me every few seconds, keeping my eyes peeled for anything that may be out of place. I progressed without issue, though I didn't hear anything from Lizzy either, which was concerning. Base hadn't replied to our conversation either, but they could just be sitting back to see how we handled this. If it was functioning for Johnson and I, it should be working for them too (unless Johnson is an imposter, but his name was presented right away so it was unlikely). I wasn't moving particularly fast though, as keeping my noise down was a priority, so when I didn't see him by floor five, I became worried.

"Kado checking in, at floor five now. Where are you?" I asked, surprised when I heard my own voice echoing in my right ear. My eyes whipped to the source of the sound, and my grip tightened on my pistol and dagger when I saw it.

Johnson's headset was floating, only half a flight of stairs down from the fifth floor landing. From it, electricity bounced onto the walls. Wisps of white smoke surrounded it, slowly forming into the shape of a pale man in a white suite whose eyes looked like pitch black marbles.

Fuck.

There _was _an impostor, Johnson's headset had been stolen, and both him and Lizzy were MIA. Oh, and there was a considerably strong ghost standing a few feet from me.

Absolutely _fan-flipping-tastic_, what else could go wrong?

* * *

**AN: And cliffhanger! This chapter was really interesting to write. Tons of stuff happened plot-wise, and progress is always a good thing. We also finally get to meet Karen, and Johnson becomes more relevant. Not too much of their personalities were shown off here, though we'll certainly get more of that later. Grand Central Station was actually a real place in Chicago (I looked it up on Wikipedia), so that's nifty. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading and have a great week!**


End file.
